Past Judgement Outtakes
by TheImpossiblePen
Summary: Because I can't fit it ALL into one story Past Judgement without it being a big, run-on mess, here's a fairly random set of one-shots and short arcs to tickle the funny bone, maybe touch a sad or nostalgic note every now and again, and of course dabble in a whole lot of what-ifs!
1. Chapter 1

**Gwaine Discovers the Internet**

He sat in front of the flickering computer screen, glancing once more over his shoulder to be sure that he hadn't been caught snooping. Sir Gwaine sat forward and focused his eyes on the images that appeared; they slowly began to dominate the screen, just popping up at random. He was twitchy just watching this progression…

He panicked, aware that he had somehow closed the file that the young Doctor had been working on. For every button he pressed or clicked, something else happened. And the more he reacted to that, disaster struck! Highly inappropriate images of ladies began to fill the screen, and hundreds of obscene messages followed, making the Knight look far less than honorable! Oh, God! If His Liege saw this, he would have Gwaine drawn and quartered, he was sure of it! Gwaine was frantically clicking every 'x' he could see—even those that did not close the windows down!

He released a mournful sigh and slumped in the rolling leather chair at his back. Maybe next time he would think to ask for help with discovering this world.

He had to smile, though, even as his eyes took in the indecent images. So many lovely, lovely ladies…

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A/N:

This is one of many scenes floating around in my warped brain. Hope you liked! Read and review, and have a good rest of your week! I'll add more as I think of them, if there happens to be a bit of a fan base.

Cheers and Ciao!


	2. Chapter 2

**Novice Attempt at MSN Conversation**

Merlin stood over his master's shoulder and snickered when Arthur's perfectly (albeit verrrrrrrry slowwwwwly) typed response reached the other side of this electronic conversation. The Prince glanced up at him in irritation, poking his finger at the small screen.

"You're so good at this," Arthur snapped, glancing back at the screen, "You tell me what that says, because I don't understand a word."

"Oh." Merlin drew closer, nodding when he saw the acronym clearly. "What the fu-"

-"Merlin!" Arthur turned an offended glare at his manservant. "Would you cut the profanity, please, and-"

-"No, that's what it _means_," Merlin said slowly, concisely. "Americans are very direct." He seated himself at the kitchen table to watch Arthur fumble through an MSN conversation with a contact on Kelly's list. "Oh, you found Lleanne," Merlin chirped, half tempted to wave at this person that they could not see. He had finally met the fiery blond girl earlier that day. She and Kelly had a very long history, all the way back to middle school. Some of the stories he'd heard made him look at the Time Traveler in a whole new light. "And…so far she thinks you are a moron. See that LMFAO?"

Arthur nodded, not sure he wanted to ask. He didn't have to ask—Merlin volunteered the translation. Once again, he hurried to stop his servant from uttering such offensive words in the Anderson home, all but smacking the man upside the head to get his point across. "Honestly," he huffed. "Why must such colourful words adorn these conversations? And how dare you repeat such words to _me_!"

Merlin shrugged. "You asked me to tell you, Sire," he reminded his Prince. He reached over and quickly typed an answer to her question, and he laughed out loud when she responded. "ROFL." He received a sharp glance and just blinked at the Prince for a moment. "Roll On the Floor Laughing."

Arthur raised an eyebrow at his servant, his face the picture of confusion and disdain. "Why on earth would I do _that_?" It seemed a most undignified thing to do at the moment.

Merlin shook his head, muttering, "Never mind, Sire, just…never mind." This was going to be a very long process, he decided.

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**A/N:**

**And…that's how I think a first go-round with MSN might unfold. Have a great night, all!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Arthur Can't Slay THIS Beast…**

"Seriously—you hang on to the handle like that, and you're gonna rip it straight out of the ceiling," admonished the driver of the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder SUV. The shiny black vehicle (dubbed 'beast' by its owner since the day she bought it) wove through seven lanes of traffic on the Los Angeles Freeway, edging toward the exit ramp onto the interchange that lead back to Santa Monica, back toward the smaller subdivisions of the city.

"I wouldn't have to hang on for dear life," said the man beside her, his eyes darting back and forth wildly, "if you would stop that infernal _darting_ in and out between these millions of other…cars!—Christ! Did he have to cut that close?" He glared daggers at a much faster, smaller two-door vehicle, but it was gone before he could blink. With his heart in his throat, he swallowed convulsively and turned wide, nervous blue eyes to look at the driver. She seemed not at all phased, beyond a mild curse, and kept her eyes on the road ahead. "Must we travel so quickly?" He was on the verge of an all-out panic attack, not even remotely comfortable with this mode of travel. He missed his own horse, Aldieb, more than ever at this moment…even if it would have taken an entire day and some just to travel the distance that they had covered in a little under an hour's time.

Kelly glanced over, peering at the Prince through her D & G sunglasses. "We're going maybe forty, fifty miles per hour," she said in disbelief. "If we were to travel any slower, this thing would be a safety hazard, Arthur. Do yourself a favour and sit back, shut up, and—" she reached for the digital display screen, selecting the radio function. "Here, listen to the radio." She caught his suddenly offended expression and rolled her eyes. "You're freaking out so badly that you are a distraction to me, and it's my job to keep my SUV under control," she explained gently, shaking her head. She reached for his closest hand…which was clutching the edge of the leather seat rather tightly. "This is how we travel. Trust me—this is _completely _normal," she assured him.

They were silent, only the sounds of car travel and music filling the quiet.

Camelot's Regent forced himself to sit back into his admittedly comfortable passenger seat—though the taut band of fabric stretched from shoulder to waist was most uncomfortable. Too confining, he thought. Although, he was beginning to understand why this was part of the safety protocol, after nearly being party to three separate close calls, and passing a massive accident on the side of the road a few miles back. The level of destruction between two vehicles had been _staggering_…

Arthur was very uncomfortable being out of his element. Pouting slightly, he reached forward and peered at the screen in the middle of the dashboard. "What is all this?" He pressed a button that appeared to be a part of the Radio menu-

-and nearly leaped fifty feet into the air as heavy, pounding bass came from the speakers! Scrambling to change that, the Prince let out a breath as something a little less violent sounding came from the speakers.

Kelly was laughing at the man's first foray into club music. He had startled like somebody had set a bomb in front of him! "You gonna live?" she asked, turning mirth-filled hazel eyes to look at her passenger. "I mean, if you're going to have a coronary here on the freeway, I can take the next exit and take you straight to the Emergency Room. Bet my fellow Residents would love it that I'm the apparent _cause_!" She cackled a bit at that, at the look of fear that settled on his face. "Oh, man! You should see yourself! If a person could really leap out of their own skin, you would have already done it!" She slapped the steering wheel with an open palm. "Too funny," she added with a sigh.

Arthur watched the woman for a very long moment, unable to help shaking his head. "You really do have a strange sense of humour," he said slowly, as if talking to a mentally deranged person.

"Ah, yeah. I know." Kelly patted his hand in a conciliatory manner, still grinning. "Most of my friends share my warped brain." She shrugged. "Survival mechanism for living in the twenty-first century."


	4. Chapter 4

**I got a request for the Gwaine/Merlin Wii incident mentioned in Past Judgement to be brought through in my Outtakes series…. So, here it is! Hope you guys enjoy.**

* * *

**Here Wii Go!**

Watching those boys at the Wii made Kelly cringe, but she stayed back, seated on the sofa, just watching the medieval men play to their heart's content. It was kind of like supervising a really volatile play date. The moment Gwaine lost his cool and actually began _flinging the nunchuck_ at the warlock, Merlin reacted in kind—though he simply found it amusing to further set off the knight at every opportunity. It wasn't until Kelly threatened to turn off the system that both Merlin and Gwaine settled down, both wearing pouts similar to one that her own child would have worn.

"Gwaine, step off! It's MINE!"

"Back of the line, Wizard Boy," the knight retorted, his face a mask of frustration. Merlin kept sideswiping him off the race track, and he lost precious seconds in his bid to win. "Only room for winners in this game, mate!" He laughed maniacally when he passed the cart that was in second place.

"Winners?" Merlin snorted, using his magic to shift Gwaine's controls ever so slightly….until the Knight's cart drove straight into a sand dune. "Oh, then you're playing the wrong game, _mate_," he shot back.

"MERLIN!" Gwaine huffed in irritation as Merlin quit out to the main menu, and turned to face the television screen again. "Fine. This time, _you_ choose a game, you sore loser…"

They played a rousing game of Boxing that probably had their 'keeper' sweating more than they were. Both Gwaine and Merlin nearly threw the controllers straight into Colonel Anderson's brand new stereo system at a particularly challenging part of the tournament. Both had forgotten to wear the little white wristlets attached to each of the central remotes, to guard against disasters such as this.

Somewhere along the way, Merlin managed to deck Gwaine for real—while trying to land a great left hook. Go figure!

Before things could escalate further, it was game over…

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**A/N:**

**I know, they seem rather toddler-esque when put in front of video games for the first time. But I have _seen _this very behaviour—especially out of boys! ARGH!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Driver's Education**

They sat in the parked Nissan, in an empty shopping centre parking lot. The driver was an excited, nervous warlock, and his teacher was the vehicle's owner.

"…And what's that?" Kelly pointed to a point to the left of the steering wheel.

"Signals and high beams," the boy answered, obviously proud of himself. She pointed to a button at the centre of the dash. "Hazards." She pointed to the gear box. "Gear shifts!" This kept on until Kelly had run out of questions, and the warlock looked about ready to explode! He had read the manual over again, and he even knew how to perform the vehicle safety check. He just Desperately. Wanted. to DRIVE!

"Okay, now, put on your seat belt." Kelly demonstrated by pulling on her own, showing Merlin how to adjust the tension. She nodded when he appeared to have it right. "Okay. Turn the key in the ignition." Merlin looked confused. Kelly pointed to where the keys dangled from. "That thing right there. Full turn, only once, and DO NOT touch the gas peddle or you'll flood the engine—and then I'd have to hurt you," she said with an exaggerated smile, making the warlock laugh.

The engine roared to life, and Merlin pressed back against his seat, momentarily freaked out, his hands flying straight off of the steering column. He relaxed when the Lady Anderson appeared completely nonplussed, simply nodding. So…he must have done the right thing. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Kelly watched her friend with growing unease. "You sure you want to drive?" she asked gently.

"I-I can do this. It's just…just so odd." Merlin's eyes danced across the dashboard to the myriad of controls. "No horse to kick. How do you know what all of this means? And why do you need to see all of this if you're just driving somewhere?" His tone held a note of disbelief.

Kelly smiled. "You don't want to be aware that you're running on empty? Or if the engine's overheating? Or if you're low on oil?" She got a confused set of blinks. "It's all part of driving, Merlin. I have to be looking at _all_ of this as I go, or I'm an accident waiting to happen."

A bit put off by how much work was required of the standard motorist, Merlin announced, "Horses are so much less work."

Kelly grinned. "Yeah—but I love my air conditioning." She sat back, tapping the warlock's shoulder. "Okay! Ready?" This was a crash course, she reminded herself. He would learn some basics. "Now…You're moving the gear from 'Park' to 'Drive'. If you read the box, it goes: Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, and these are Overdrive 1 and Overdrive 2. You won't use them much unless you're stuck in a rut. But then, the four-by-four will automatically kick in and provide a little extra power in that event, so…Yeah. Anyway! Move it to 'Drive' and keep your foot on the brake." She subconsciously reached for the handle over the passenger door, trying to appear as cool and collected as any confident passenger.

Kelly gave Merlin a moment to sit with the feel of the brake beneath his foot, and then she spoke slowly, concisely. "Now, take your foot off the brake, and GENTLY touch the gas pedal."

The Pathfinder lurched when, after rolling forward a few feet, Merlin got scared and shifted his foot back to the brake. He sat there with a wide gaze, and he finally nodded, both hands gripping the steering wheel at the ten-and-two-o'clock position. Okay, he was white-knuckling, actually, but at least his hands were in the right places!

On Kelly's encouraging nod and words, Merlin put his foot back on the gas pedal. His foot settled on the gas a little too heavily, as the vehicle suddenly sped forward. It barrelled toward a light pole standing at the end of the lot, straight ahead!

"Merlin, BRAKES!" Kelly yelled, half tempted to cover her eyes—but common sense won out. She instead grappled at her seat with one hand, as if that would save her life. Visions of twisted metal made the young doctor reach for the steering wheel and steer it away from the light standard. The Nissan swerved sharply and she shrieked, "Brakes NOW!"

The vehicle screeched to a stop, and Kelly shifted the thing into Park. She sat back, her eyes staring forward as her heart found its way back down into her chest.

It was so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

"H-How was that?" The warlock's question was quite timid, and his heart still beat frantically inside his ribcage. He chanced a look over at his teacher. Kelly was visibly rattled, not even willing to meet his gaze for the longest time.

Kelly swallowed with difficulty and nodded. "Uh...Good start,"she squeaked.

Merlin sighed with obvious relief, rolling his eyes skyward before looking at Kelly. "Gods! I swear I'll do better next time," he promised solemnly.

"...Next time?"

"Hey, I didn't flood the engine," the servant chirped. _Accentuate the positive,_ he reminded himself.

Kelly would have face-palmed if it wasn't so insulting a gesture. Honestly, he didn't know any better. More importantly, what the hell had she been _on_ to think that she could teach a medieval man how to drive a twenty-first century vehicle?

**A/N:**

**Sorry for the wait, guys! I hope you enjoyed this little blurb! Read, review and offer up scenarios you'd like to see written up! Thanks again for following/reviewing/reading my work!**

**TheImpossiblePen**


	6. Chapter 6

**Kinders in Cleats...What Could POSSIBLY Go Wrong?**

"C'mon Fireflies!" Kelly clapped, shouting through cupped hands from the sidelines at Jefferson Elementary School's soccer field. She watched the five-kid team charge after the ball. They were just too cute to watch running around the diminished field span, going between one goal net and the other continuously. "Kick it, Mackenzie!" The ball bounced off the net and the opposing team took it, making another attempt to score a goal. "Guys, get in there! Go, ALEX!"

Her little blond daughter stood out in the signature red and black uniform of the Grierson U6 Firefly soccer team, particularly because the little girl could fake and pass better than most of her teammates. She had just mastered aerial kicks that sent the ball flying into the air. With her little braids flying, she bolted to intercept the ball.

Some little guy on the other team made a direct attempt to trip Alexandra, and before Kelly got a word out, and just as the whistle was blown, The Prince-Regent of Camelot called out from behind,"Oi! What the devil was _that_ about! What manner of coward overpowers a _girl _to get his way!" His powerful voice carried clearly across the field, and many curious onlookers followed this new bit of drama

Rolling her eyes in exasperation, thoroughly embarrassed, Kelly braced herself. Alexandra's father's face was red with fury, and he seemed intent on marching straight over to the scared little boy across the field-

-until Kelly blocked his path. "Arthur, he's six—if that!"she hissed urgently, her eyes pleading for the Prince -Regent of Camelot to back down from his tirade. "The whistle's been blown. It's all good,"she assured him. "All the adults are here to keep the game fair, and you won't help matters if you go barrelling in for a 'word' with that boy," she finished sternly, setting a hand on her hip as she gestured toward the child across the field. The boy had gone straight to his mother, looking fearfully at Alexandra's father.

It was funny to watch the six-foot tall Prince stop everything to listen to a woman who barely came to his chest in height. He was visibly restraining himself, trying to heed the time traveller's very sound words of advice. For as much as he lived by the Knights' code, this act of aggression had pushed him. NOBODY laid a hand upon his daughter, not on his watch...

"Sit down," Kelly ordered sternly, pointing to one of the camping chairs she had set out at the start of the game. Arthur started to protest, but she only strengthened her stance, her face a mask of utter seriousness.

"But-"

"Sit down, behave yourself, or you're not coming to another game—period!" Kelly had visibly lost her temper with him, and she continued to stare down the Once and Future King with an intensity that nobody else would have ever gotten away with. She was fuming at his unruly display, and she wasn't going to stand back and watch him make a mockery of her daughter's team.

Arthur's stance eased up and he sighed in defeat. "She's my _daughter,_" he whined pitifully, gesturing to the small child...who, incidentally, had carried on playing after the little boy apologised to her under the Coach's direction. When it was clear that he had no say in this, Arthur lowered his head and sat down to watch the rest of the game. He sat, all right, and visibly pouted like a child the whole time. He wasn't familiar with being dismissed so sharply, and one had only to look at his saddened blue eyes to see that he was just a little bit wounded...

**A/N:**

**This one was a request, so I hope I've done your wish justice! I just...really see Arthur behaving all neanderthal-like when his baby gets bumped, and I just see this petite woman putting him right back in line. Sad, not funny, I know...but this would be one way in which our beloved Prince would begin to see how different their worlds really were to one another.**

**Thanks for the kind comments, and support! You guys rock. Really!**

**Cheers and Ciao!**

**TheImpossiblePen**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sunshine and Summertime**

"Gwaine, stop movin'," chastised the little blonde child sitting in the sand. She had already half-buried her father's Knight, halfway between the back yard and the shoreline. Armed with a huge pail and a shovel, she dug up more sand in which to submerge the laughing, dark-haired knight in the cool, wet sand. _He doesn't look like a knight now_, she thought; Gwaine was wearing dark 'boarder shorts' in the hot summer sun. No, now he looked like a fun playmate!

Kelly cast a glance over at her daughter and laughed out loud at the predicament that Gwaine had gotten himself into. "Oh, MAN, Gwaine," she giggled, stepping over across the sand. "Only you, dude. Having fun, yet?" She paused to hug Alexandra in passing. "Hey, go easy on the poor guy, missy."

Alexandra kind of cackled at the mere suggestion and only giggled harder when Gwaine tried to wiggle out from under the sand. "Gwaine, NO! No, you're not allowed to get up," she said, sounding very bossy, wagging her finger and everything.

Kelly returned to the cedar deck, unzipping the turquoise Lulu Lemon jacket when she stood staring at the beach in front of her. She stood in one of her favourite, hot-weather surfing outfits; blue and purple boarder shorts and a matched bikini top. She had decided it was time to stop appeasing the newcomers' senses of propriety. To hell with that—she was American born!

Kelly strode out toward the water, watching the poor warlock attempt to ride in on the breaker waves. Poor Merlin spent more time swallowing sea water than actually navigating the ocean from her beloved surfboard. It was funny...but also kind of pathetic. Gwaine sat virtually helpless as she walked by, but he let out a whistle and a flirtatious, "Hello, _beautiful_!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Kelly answered in jest, flipping her hand up to halt his teasing words. "Save it for the locals, Gwaine!" She laughed at the absurdity of his attempt to flirt. She carried on toward the shoreline.

Merlin recovered from yet another spill off the board, spluttering as he found his footing. Growling in frustration, he briefly thought of using magic to make the surfboard stay still—just so he could get onto the thing!—and decided against it, in case he exposed his gift to the California locals. Not a good idea, he decided reluctantly, glancing from one end of the shoreline to the other. He saw the native Californian standing on the shore, hands on hips, and looking way too amused at his first attempt at riding the waves.

The idiot in him wasn't thinking as he surveyed the Prince's love interest. He was slowly getting used to the sight of half-naked people running all over the beach—and sometimes in the heart of Santa Monica—but it still flustered the warlock when he saw how much of the tanned redhead was exposed. He was surprised that Arthur hadn't already run out and hauled her back into the Anderson home, citing how improper her attire was. Truth be told, he didn't mind the view! She was a beautiful woman. She was strong—she had muscle definition that a lady of the court would never have. When he realized he had been staring, judging by the smirk on her face, his face went crimson as a tide of embarrassment washed over him. She was waving him into shore.

Kelly watched the warlock come back up the surf, board under one arm. She raised a brow, thinking, _California looks good on him! _She fought an amused grin and simply waited patiently. _Okay, he needs a tan, but he's got the body! Nice. _ He was tall and lanky, but not nearly as scrawny as he looked inside those too-big clothes of his. As he drew closer, she called, "You should be practicing on land first, Merlin! Once you get it here, you'll find it easier out there!" She waved generally toward the ocean, turning to walk with her friend. "You looked like you were having fun, anyway. That's good!"

Merlin slung an arm across her shoulders and walked with her. "I was! Just can't catch my balance to save my life," he said with a chuckle. "So, I think I'll try it your way."

"What?" Kelly pressed a hand to her chest, her face mocking. "Take the advice of a surfer chick? Dude, how progressive of you!" She glanced about and saw two teenage girls head out on a speed boat. Both were eyeballing Merlin pretty good, and she elbowed the warlock in the ribs. "Oooh, check it! You're bein' ogled!" She cracked up at the speed that Merlin went red in the face and hugged her friend. "Aw, c'mon! They think you're hot! Nothing wrong with that," she assured him, laughing.

Merlin subconsciously puffed his chest out. He was a bit unused to receiving attention. Usually the ladies drooled over the blond Prince, but this time the spotlight was on him! It was kind of nice, actually! He afforded the ladies a wave and a smile, shaking his head as he turned to walk toward the house with Kelly. "I'm beginning to like this era," he announced.

"Nah, you just like that Arthur's not the center of attention, here," Kelly argued. "Here, you get to stand on your own. You're not 'just a servant'."

They reached the deck railing and she hauled out of the storage shed two sawhorses. She used them routinely to wax her board, but she figured they would help Merlin to practice his jump-ups.

"Yeah! You got it—Hold your arms out, count down from twenty-five…"

Curious about the conversation just off the deck, the Prince-Regent stepped out beyond the patio doors to the deck railing closest to the ocean. He had been reading the newspaper for a couple of hours, hearing the commotion outside. He had decided to see what was going on.

Gods, it was hot. The weather vane had said it was nearly eighty-eight degrees Fahrenheit, and Arthur found himself pulling his tunic away from his chest as he fought for air circulation beneath the heavy fabric. Visibly sweating, he blew out a breath as he surveyed the shoreline. He could see a few boats out on the water, all of them recreational, and some water skiers trailing along behind a couple of the faster boats.

"No, no, no. You keep leaning back, you're gonna bite it out there," instructed a very familiar voice. "You lean into the wave, and you basically want to follow its form."

Arthur looked down and immediately startled like a terrified animal. When he saw the attire of his love, he barely held back from yelling at her to get inside and throw some real clothing on. He had to remind himself that this wasn't Camelot. This was normal. So he would have to be stealthy about things…

Descending the steps to the sand, Arthur spotted the turquoise jacket. Taking it from the railing, he approached this impromptu surfing lesson. Stepping up behind the small woman, he wrapped her in a hug, a pleased grin on his face as he stole a kiss from her.

Kelly smiled back and just as quickly shrugged out of the jacket. "Nice try," she said, enjoying the guilty look on the Regent's face, "But I don't like to roast on a hot day. Unlike yourself, obviously!" She gestured to the Future King's long-sleeved tunic and jeans. "Are you insane? You'll get heatstroke dressed like that out here!"

Feeling a bit defensive, Arthur crossed his arms and jutted his chin stubbornly. "It isn't proper for a Royal to appear in anything other than full dress, no matter what the weather. The same rule should apply to you—Alex is heir to the throne!" Once again, he tried to put her jacket on her shoulders and again she shrugged it off with the most defiant look on her face. Arthur released a frustrated sigh, trying not to roll his eyes at this childish display. "Please? For me? I'm not at all comfortable with you out here in this state of-of _undress_…" He gave her a look that he hoped would convince her to do his bidding.

Kelly turned in the Prince's embrace and laughed. "Seriously, _that's_ what this is all about?" "Arthur Pendragon, this is California," she said, poking his chest for emphasis. "This is not Camelot, and I won't be fenced in with such archaic ideals. So, either give it up, or go inside and leave the rest of us to enjoy the sun and the sea. That way," she added with a grin, "You might not melt into a puddle on the sand." She grabbed hold of his red tunic and yanked him down for a kiss, taking him by surprise. With his face only millimetres away from hers, she smiled and added, "Love you. I really do. But sometimes you're as much work as a toddler. So-" she patted his cheek as she let him stand again. "Don't do that." She spun to help Merlin again. "Okay, where were we?"

Arthur stood there for a long time, watching the surfing tutorial. Why anyone would do this for fun was beyond him. Maybe he would give it a try…Sometime…

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**A/N:**

**This beach scene was a request, so I hope I've done it justice! Thanks for the kind comments, and support! And thanks for being faithful to my sometimes halting work. It is MUCH appreciated.**

**Cheers and Ciao!**

**TheImpossiblePen**


	8. Chapter 8

**Shopping Excursion – Part One**

_Oh, God...Shoot me now_, she thought, taking the keys out of the ignition of her vehicle. For five miles straight...she had had to listen to Bohemian Rhapsody NON-STOP. That wouldn't have been so bad, except for the fact that none of these men could carry a tune in a BUCKET!

Kelly undid her seat belt and turned in her seat to face her passengers. She was pointing at them as she spoke, the sunlight glinting off the metal of the keys in her hand through the moon roof. "Rule number one," she stated sharply, looking at each one in turn with a glare that brooked no opposition. "We stay together. Anyone wanders off, and I have to call Security to find ANY ONE of you, we are leaving this mall, and we are NEVER coming back. Do I make myself perfectly clear?" She finished with a deceptively sweet smile, nodding when three startled men nodded in response. "Okay! Good! Now, rule number two: The clothing mannequins look very lifelike to you, I'm sure, so...Gwaine, no flirting-PLEASE!- with any mannequin. You can do far better with a live human being. Arthur, you cannot cover them up. They are there for clothing display, and I don't care how offended you are over this. And Merlin?" The black-haired warlock looked up expectantly. "No playing musical clothes at any time, I don't care if nobody catches you. Store managers will be very pissed off if their clothes start hopping all over the mall, showing up in different window fronts!"

Merlin had the nerve to pout, until Kelly shot him a glare. She took a breath and pointed again. Going over the rest of the rules took about five minutes, and brooked some arguments toward the end, but all three of Camelot's citizens quickly learned who was in charge of this brave excursion.

Merlin was the first to race in through the heavy glass doors, and his eyes lit up like a child's at Christmastime. Lights were everywhere and of so many different colors, music filled the air, and there were hundreds of people, all ages and walks of life, just strolling along inside this magnificent building.

The warlock was drawn to the babbling water fountain at the center of the corridor. After a moment spent studying the fountain, he blurted, "Arthur, LOOK! Gwaine!" His tone was urgent sounding, so of course they raced over, looking over his shoulder to peer into the watery depth. Merlin looked at each man, and then back to the shining metal pieces on the fountain floor. "They're so rich, here, that they literally _throw_ _away _their gold!"

Both Gwaine and Arthur looked simultaneously confused and impressed with the wealth of this nation.

They moved on down the corridor, trying to stay as close to their 'tour guide' as possible, knowing she meant what she had said back in the Nissan. You didn't trifle with Lady Anderson, not when she set the rules down in this world.

"Oh, I think I'm in love..." Gwaine all but squealed like a girl when he saw the storefront for Victoria's Secret. After seeing that, he couldn't stop looking over at the doctor, his eyes trying to see past her fairly conservative clothing.

"What?" Kelly spun to face Gwaine in exasperation. "Why are you looking at me like that, Gwaine?"

"Oh! N-Nothing-I-I just..." Gwaine bit his lip before he asked quietly, "Do you wear things like that under your clothes?" He timidly pointed toward the store in question.

Kelly watched him for a moment, very tempted to slap him across the face...but she instead smirked, turning on her heel to walk. "Wouldn't _you_ like to know," she threw over her shoulder.

"Yes, I would! I asked, didn't I?" Gwaine shrugged. He got that slap anyway, as the Prince came up behind him. "Ow!"

"That will be the least of your worries, Sir Gwaine," Arthur growled into his Knight's left ear, "If you address my wife-to-be in that manner again. Mind your station." He glared at Gwaine and strode ahead to walk with Kelly.

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**A/N:**

**There's more to come! Read, review and make my day EVEN BETTER! 'Cause you love me...right? :D Aw, I love you guys for giving me inspiration. **

**Cheers and Ciao!**

**TheImpossiblePen**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long, guys! I know this one's ridiculous, but I'm just thinking that boredom left in the hands of creative individuals yields disturbing results. Now, I know they're a little OOC, but it just sounded like fun inside my own head! Enjoy!**

**The Trouble With Boredom**

These meetings were extremely boring. The King droned on and on about the local farming situations, about raising or lowering taxation for certain districts and tradesmen, and with one good look around, one would see many of the nobles struggling to stay conscious. The knights were attentive, but they looked like they wanted to just get out of there. The Prince did his duty and followed the conversation, offering suggestions upon his father's prompting, and the serving staff quietly filled water cups as needed.

With her phone discreetly settled in her lap, the new Princess glanced down every now and again to reply to her fellow conspirator via text messaging. Across the room, Merlin struggled to keep his sniggers quiet, but he was finding it increasingly difficult. Arthur was giving his manservant a few displeased, questioning glances, otherwise oblivious to the duo's attempt to stave off boredom.

Kelly upped the ante. She made certain nobody was looking when she prepared an email. Kelly sent the message, a quiet smile on her face, pretending to nod at the King's next proposed settlement.

"Oh, shit!" The warlock nearly dropped the companion I-phone when the thing SHRIEKED in front of the entire council, the Knights, and the King. He stared at the device with a look of horror, wanting very badly to sink straight into the stone floor to avoid the Uther Pendragon's scathing glare. Setting it shakily onto the table in front of him, he bowed his head as graciously as he could, muttering an apology.

Kelly barely kept it together, soundlessly putting her phone away in the pocket of her skirt. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and she lifted an eyebrow to challenge the warlock when the council resumed.

Merlin countered her look, and nodded imperceptibly to Sir Gwaine. A slow smile spread across the knight's face, and he hit the one, dreaded button that would put an end to this round of shenanigans.

Uther eyed each member of his council, the knights, and then his own son and daughter-in-law with a degree of suspicion, in spite of trying to remain on the subject. He had just opened his mouth to call for suggestions when he was interrupted by the sudden burst of music from that other land.

"Sonofa-!" Kelly hissed. She gingerly declined the phone call and set her phone down onto the table, her face crimson with embarrassment. Damn! Oh, Gwaine was goin' down...

Sir Gwaine lifted his into full view and waved it mockingly, nodding with a huge grin plastered on his face. If looks could kill, he would have already been six feet under. As it was, he struggled to stay upright, laughing hard, a hand pressed to his gut. "Ah, _priceless_," he crowed, earning a look that promised revenge.

Thus was born the first cellphone ban in history...


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

And here it is. Thank you KittyRin and A-Wonderful-Afterlife for your suggestions! :D

~.~.~

**One Good Shot Deserves Another and Aces High!**

"How can _any_ man be so incredibly unlucky?" slurred one of Arthur's knights. Gwaine had taken more than a few shots of Tequila already, and while he was looking a little green, he found it uproariously hilarious that the Prince had 'earned' the privilege—a lost hand of Poker—not once, but three times that evening!

"Okay, okay. So, I'm seeing some potential for alcohol poisoning," said Camelot's most frequent guest, Lleanne Warren, barely containing her own giggles. She turned her own inebriated gaze to her best friend. "We need to add, um, provisions."

The Regent's new wife burst out laughing, taking the deck into her own small hands. She began shuffling the deck like a pro—too many hours spent looking for things to do at the hospital on a quiet night. "Oh, yeah. I think so," she agreed with a grin, nodding enthusiastically. "So...what, either take the shot or-"

"OH!" Lleanne cackled a bit, leaping to her feet from around the dining table in Kelly's room. She pointed to Kelly. "Take the shot or take something off...your...person." Her sentence was spoken so precisely, as to let the consequences sink in to their medieval counterparts, and she got another nod of agreement.

Kelly dealt out eight hands and slammed the deck down in the centre of her table. "Dude! You are _so_ on, it ain't even funny."

"And if you refuse to do either one, expect to be 'gotten' at any given time, anywhere, and in the most embarrassing manner possible," Lleanne added firmly, moving her pointed finger to each and every person around the table. She seated herself again, taking up her hand. She automatically grimaced at her hand. "Oh, crap..."

Kelly laughed at this, throwing her head back. She caught her husband trying to peek past her shoulder just before setting down the cards. Sending him a sharp glare, she added, "And cheaters either take _two_ shots of MY choosing, or you _lose_ two items of clothing. So, eyes back on your own cards, already!"

Arthur visibly flinched, unable to hide his own smile. He would never admit it to anyone, but he loved that southern twang that touched his wife's words when she got worked up. That was part of the reason he egged her on—but she really did scare him at times. She was small, but she could do more damage than some of his own men!

He recalled the tale of the first time she had met Gwaine. She had flipped the man straight over her shoulder, knocking the breath from his lungs. Oh, how he had ribbed the knight mercilessly for weeks following that run-in with the doctor.

~.~.~

Several hands later, and several severely drunk knights later, Arthur sighed in defeat, throwing his second boot into the pile on top of the table. He cast a look to his servant and truly took in the scrawny man's appearance since this had all begun. Merlin was very drunk, and one more shot might just make him lose his dinner, so Arthur volunteered the man's neckerchief, throwing it onto the pile, when Merlin laid down a very, very poor hand.

"Arthuuuur," Merlin whined pitifully, gesturing toward his favoured piece of cloth. "That's my favourite one! You can't just throw it out there without my consent!" His blue eyes flashed with anger, turning gold momentarily.

Arthur looked down in time to see his sword-belt leave his person and settle on the pile. Angry, he glared at his servant. "It's not the same thing, you idiot! Now, I command you to give it back this instant!"

Both boys glared at each other for a long moment before releasing identical, defeated sighs. Each was returned his treasured item and each one gathered the courage to take yet another shot of that dreadful alcoholic beverage called 'Sambuca'. Both men cringed comically as the awful drink hit their gullets.

"Gods, that's foul," Merlin groaned, slamming his shot glass down with violence.

"Foul is putting it_ lightly_," Arthur contributed vehemently, slamming his own glass down.

Sir Leon went red the moment he laid his cards down. His was a hand to be quite ashamed of, and he wordlessly took off one of his boots, setting it with all the rest...

Gwaine looked up from his hand, smirking, to look at the Princess—the real one, not the Regent. "Wha d'ye have?" When Kelly laid her cards down, with a bit of a grimace, Gwaine crowed loudly, nearly rocking off of his chair. "O_ho_! So, the ladies who set this disaster in motion are finally getting payback!"

"Sure, call it that," Kelly said with a forced straight face. Her arms disappeared into her t-shirt, and within seconds a lacy blue bra was thrown onto the pile. She then folded her arms across her chest and shrugged. "I call it justice."

Every man in that room was struck speechless. As everyone looked to the Prince for permission to proceed, Arthur simply blinked at the article in fascination. Tilting his head, he stated, "That's new."

Kelly shot her husband a sideways smile. "Yeah. I got a few of the same bra in different colours."

Arthur's face went crimson, but not nearly as pronounced as his servant's shade of embarrassment at seeing a woman's undergarments just laying there...on the table...

Lleanne disrupted the silence with a small cheer. "Yaaaaay! For once I don't have the worst hand since the invention of this game!" She set down a Royal Flush, doing her little 'victory dance', earning a large number of irritated glares.

And this was another historical first; Strip Poker with shots within Camelot's hallowed halls.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 – Shopping Trip – Continued!**

"You need a size up," Kelly advised quietly, as she scrutinized the casual pants that the Regent had just tried on.

Merlin snorted with laughter, trying to maintain some composure. "See, Arthur? I told you it was time to cut back on the sausage!"

Arthur shot Merlin a look that clearly said 'shut up' and simultaneously tried to pull his gut in to make the pair of size thirty-two men's khakis fit the way they were supposed to. He was not opposed to taking his love's very sound advice, but he would be damned if his servant was going to get away with poking fun at him.

With a tight smile, he turned and faced the man from Ealdor. "Since you seem to have so much free time on your hands, _Merlin_, go fetch me these same trousers with a thirty-four waist. And if you find them, I want the black pair as well." Impatience oozed from his concisely spoken words. "Hurry up. We have an hour before the stores close, and we all know just how slow you can be, idiot."

Arthur's command was met with more than a few strange looks from passing patrons, a couple of looks of disgust. _Who was this man to be so rude to his friends? _They seemed to be thinking.

Pouting a bit, Merlin did as ordered. He left the dressing area to wander the clothing racks and tables all throughout The Gap at Santa Monica's busy shopping centre.

Carefully looking through a stack of the aforementioned trousers, the warlock barely looked up as somebody stopped beside him. When he did raise his eyes, he stopped breathing for the barest of moments.

There stood the most familiar woman he'd ever seen in his life! She was the doppelganger for Freya, but her eyes were lined with a pretty turquoise colour. Her long brown hair was down about her shoulders in loose ringlets. She wore a headset and a name tag, and he glanced at that out of sheer curiosity.

When she finished folding carelessly strewn pants, she looked up and flashed the warlock a blinding smile. "Hi, there!" she chirped. "Can I help you look for something, sir?"

No, it wasn't Freya. She had a strong American accent, though not as southern sounding as the Colonel's own Texan drawl. Merlin blinked at her image, coming down from a bit of a daze. "Uh, um, no," he stuttered. "Thank you." With several deep breaths, the manservant found what he was looking for and returned to his Master's changing room.

There she was, cheerfully addressing both Kelly and Arthur, nodding at something the Doctor said before dashing off. Merlin watched her with a lost-puppy expression all across his face. He snapped to attention when Arthur called his name again, and he handed the Prince the casual pants. "Sorry," he mumbled, his head swivelling toward the departing woman.

"Merlin, stop gawking at the woman," Arthur ordered quietly. "You're bound to make her slightly uncomfortable with all that staring." He gave his servant a reproving glare before going back into the change room. He shut the door.

"Yes, Sire." Merlin had never told Arthur about Freya, not even after the Prince had learned about the fact that Merlin was born with magic. There was so much that Arthur just did not know about...

Once Arthur was sorted with two pairs of pants and a few tees, Kelly moved on to deal with Gwaine.

Dressing that man turned into a bit of a comedy act. If she was looking at his profile, the black-haired knight would waggle his eyebrows at her suggestively. When she had shown him how to check the fit of modern pants, by inserting two fingers' width into the front of his trousers, he burst out, "My Lady, we should not be engaging in such dalliances _in public_!" This, of course, was said loudly enough for _everyone_ to hear, and Kelly jumped back in embarrassment, glaring at her friend.

Gwaine, of course, was giggling helplessly in knowing that he had riled not only the fiery little redhead, but Arthur as well. He swore he'd heard a fist hit the wall near the change area's entrance, and he knew he heard the Prat utter a string of cursewords. _ Score!_

Merlin had been considerably easier to fit and to deal with, as he simply followed Kelly's advice on what to wear. Still, when he stepped out in his own pair of khakis, he grinned smugly at his master, who stood with crossed arms by the mirrors. "Imagine that—I'm about a thirty waist."

"And nary a muscle to be seen," Arthur retorted. When Kelly gave him a sharp glance, he bowed his head to avoid her angry glare. "Sorry. It's what I do." He looked up when he was sure her attention was elsewhere, and he grinned in childish glee. She was beautiful when she was angry. It was best to keep that thought to himself...

~.~.~

Fitting all the boys with proper twenty-first century attire had been a frustrating, quirky, sometimes hilarious task. More than a few times Kelly had fought to keep a very business-like demeanour, while explaining to three grown men why they needed this or what would happen if they didn't wear that—and that ugly Hawaiian shirts were to be left on the rack or to be burned. _ End of story._

Kelly had decided it was time to feed her guests, as they were getting a little unruly and snappish.

Gwaine and Merlin goofed around on the escalator beside the food court, essentially acting like children, only ceasing the races up and down the moving staircase when a burly Security officer told them in not-so-polite terms to knock it off. They did, begrudgingly, and returned to the table where Arthur and Kelly sat talking over a pizza and drinks.

Gwaine sat down beside his Prince and grinned widely. "Seeing as you've had trouble with your fitting," he drawled slowly, reaching for a slice of the Hawaiian pizza, "I'll just save you from yourself, 'Princess!" He had tasted this amazing food on the day previous, and it was just way too good! If only he had a tankard of mead to accompany the meal...

Arthur growled his annoyance at the Knight, muttering, "I don't even know what size I was to start with, you imbecile..." _Sizes,_ he thought, shaking his head._ What does it matter?_

Gwaine let his eyes study the Prince for a moment and shrugged. "You've been packing it on for a while, Sire. Too much breakfast on your plate, perhaps?" He forced a straight face, shrugging his shoulders.

"For the last time, I am not FAT!" Arthur bellowed, his fists striking the table in anger.

Heads turned to stare at the man openly, amusement on the faces of many. Arthur's face went red with embarrassment and he released a forced, steady breath. They were like those fish he had read about; Piranha. They found a chink in the Regent's armour and openly exploited it. Mercilessly.

Arthur turned his head and narrowed his eyes at the manservant. "So, Merlin, who was that woman over in the store? You followed her around for several minutes...Just a tad on the 'creepy' side, if you ask me."

A bit taken aback, Merlin straightened in his seat and mumbled, "Nobody." Some secrets were just best left in their quiet state...

* * *

**A/N:**

There it is, the much-promised second instalment of the shopping trip! It's just a short blurb, I know, but it made me laugh writing it. I hope you enjoy it, too!

Hey—for all you Canadians—Happy belated Canada Day! My family took in face-painting, park time, a bouncy castle (for the youngest), ate barbequed meals with a lovely flag-adorned cake for desert, and last but not least...FIREWORKS! That, my friends, was a great way to ring in Summer. I hope my fellow Canadians had as much fun or better.

To our American cousins, a belated HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! (Independence Day). I do hope you had a wonderful time yourselves.

If' I've missed any other celebrations, my apologies. But I hope you've had fun. :D

...There. I think I covered the bases...

**Up Next:**

**We'll watch our beloved Colonel give the Knights of Camelot Basic Military Training exercises... **


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N:_

_I wrote this up on the suggestion of xXMistressMadHatterXx! I hope I've done your thoughts justice! I will post more about this *cough* educational day, but we'll start with this. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 12 – Military Training...MARINE STYLE! - Part One**

The sun was barely up over the horizon, and already Camelot's esteemed knights were out and running outside of Camelot under the Colonel's expert direction. For such big, strong knights, their heavy panting and groans of defeat did much to dispel myths of their indestructibility. Even their Prince-Regent fought to keep going at the halfway mark, and he glared daggers at his father-in-law's back. This was ridiculous! Nobody had to run this far to save their lives!

Arthur's head swivelled to watch as both Kelly and Merlin sprinted forward to run ahead of the Colonel. He rolled his eyes at this embarrassing display, turning a wide glance to Sir Gwaine. Gwaine seemed just as miffed at being made to look inferior to a woman, but pride kept him moving along...and sweating buckets all the while.

Somewhere along the way the Colonel broke out into song, to the astonishment of his charges. "I don't know but I been told..." He halted, waiting to hear a response.

The Knights all looked round at each other, shrugging in confusion. What were they to do with that?

"Camelot's pretty damn old!" Kelly's voice rang out loud across the landscape, and out of nowhere she jumped off a log to hit the ground alongside of the knights.

"But that don't give you no excuse," David sang out, turning a gleaming white smile to prompt another response.

"Put those guns to real good use," Kelly countered, playfully shoving Merlin off the trail. She sprinted forward, well past the knights, to avoid the warlock's quick pursuit. In the distance they could hear her yell, "See ya, see ya, wouldn't wanna be ya!" And then, around the bend there was the sound of a shout and a scream, and the sound of water splashing.

"Gods, that woman can go," Sir Elyan could be heard muttering between heavy pants. "And for such a weakling, Merlin's got amazing speed..."

They had reached Lake Albion. Arthur was thoroughly irritated with the shameless display of endurance from both his wife and his manservant. They were behaving like siblings for crying out loud, and showing up every one of Arthur's men with their ability to run for long distances.

As the entire group slowed to a walk at the lake's edge, Gwaine spoke. "That isn't natural!" he huffed, panting as badly as the Prince. "We were not-" cough-" made to...run...endlessly!" It was slightly discouraging, too, when a woman could best his endurance. And Merlin, the scrawny little rat—his best and only friend—helped to betray Gwaine's weakness.

Arthur turned, hands on hips as they finally stopped for a bit. He watched in exasperation as they held an impromptu water fight further out into the lake. Arthur had finally had enough and yelled, "Are you two _quite_ finished!"

Kelly and Merlin stopped, turned to look at each other, and then faced the Prince-Regent. Simultaneous cries of "He started it!" and "She started it!" broke the silence as the two got out, soaked from head to toe. And, quite honestly, neither seemed to care. It was a beautiful morning!


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 12 – Military Training...MARINE STYLE! - Part Two**

"C'mon, Men! You're movin' like a bunch of senior citizens!" The Colonel's booming shouts caught the attention of anyone within a few hundred feet of the training grounds. Heads turned from the castle courtyard out of sheer curiosity. "SIR ELYAN!"

The knight looked a bit frightened as he stopped to stand at attention, as they had been taught by the Marine at the very beginning of the morning's 'Drill' session. The knights hadn't known at all what to expect, but this wasn't it. "SIR, YES SIR!"

The Colonel leaned in toward the knight, treating the man like he was one of the usual recruits at Boot Camp back home. "YOU'RE JUMPIN' LIKE A GIRL, SOLDIER! I WANNA SEE STRAIGHT LIMBS! HAVE YOU EVER DONE A GODDAMN JUMPIN' JACK IN YOUR ENTIRE FRIGGIN' LIFE, SIR ELYAN?" David had all but screamed at the man, and it clearly shook up the young soldier.

A bit freaked out by this once quiet guest's demeanour, Elyan shook his head. "NO SIR!" He kept his eyes straight ahead, knowing better than to directly confront the Colonel at this time.

"Son, you are a Knighted soldier," David said sternly, glaring at the man without a hint of humour from beneath the brim of his uniform cap. "You will learn what it is to step up the cardio, and you will learn to push and push until you nearly DIE!" His southern accent was more pronounced when he was in 'Drill Instructor' mode. He sounded all that more intimidating.

David walked away from the startled knight and confronted the others as he walked along. "SAME FOR THE REST OF YOU PANSIES! Training under my watch will include, but is not limited to, a five mile run every second morning, followed by an hour of calisthenics, and then you will return to your weapons training activities!" His eyes slowly drifted down the line of knights in the current row that he walked. "Precisely one hour post weapons, you will take a fifteen minute break, rehydrate, and prepare for a very modern, very challenging Hand-to-Hand Combat training session, utilizing the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program-Or, MCMAP! Do I hear any complaints?" He glanced all about, smirking at the humbled state of his temporary trainees.

"NO SIR!" The chorused response earned a nod of acceptance from the Colonel.

"I didn't think so!"

The Colonel had promised the King that he would spend a week with the men, pump up the level of discipline and maybe even provide a few extra skills. Well, he would do that...and more—even with only five days of training left. It wasn't a lot of time, but it was enough to cause change of some kind.

"Seeing as today was your first_ real_ day of truly regimented drill, 'girls', we'll call it quits so you can carry on with the rest of your duties. Tomorrow we kick it up a notch! Be prepared to arrive on time and in proper presentation, and be prepared to work harder than you've ever worked in your LIFE!" He whirled on the Prince, yelling, "That includes you, too, Princess!" He caught the glint of anger in his son-in-law's eyes. He knew Arthur wasn't used to being addressed in this manner, and David was determined to knock a little of that aristocratic attitude out of the man. Arrogance (and cockiness) never did anything but get a man killed.

David paused, preparing for another firm reminder. He walked the rows again, slowly, step for precise step. "For the remainder of this week you are all in a state of lock-down! If I hear of you consuming alcohol, if I _see _you consume it, if I even THINK you've taken the drink, I will make your days fucking HELL! You train with me, you follow my rules! We are a dry facility for the next five days!"

The Marine saw the look of shock that settled on Sir Gwaine's face, and a few others, but the black-haired knight's was most pronounced. It was almost enough for the Colonel to crack his facade. When they all seemed suitably affected, he yelled, "DISMISSED!"

Passing his daughter, as the knights hurriedly left the field, he put a hand out for a palm-slide. "I still got it," he gloated quietly, grinning from ear to ear.

**A/N:**

**I just thought this would be a fun lead-in to more (Cough) intense training on behalf of our beloved Marine father. Let me know if you want me to continue this...drabble? Maybe it's too continuous to be called a drabble, but...Anyway! Drop me a line and maybe offer up bits of what YOU might like me to write into the scenes (this and others, of course). Situation requests are also honoured (as long as merely T rated and none too explicit).**

**Thanks again for the support of both my registered readers, and my anonymous readers! I sincerely appreciate your kind words. Don't forget; I also welcome constructive criticism. There is ALWAYS room for improvement. I will offer my fellow writers the same courtesy.**

**On a side note...If it reaches 40 deg. Celsius again, as it did yesterday, I'm just gonna melt straight into the floor. So, if I don't come back...Oh, hell, I'll just will my drabbles to Lady Proemess! (Let's see if she reads this note or not... Hehehe) :D**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:**

**Here's a little bit more to keep you guys smilin'! Enjoy, leave comments, and always suggest ideas! I'm open! Have a great day, guys.**

**Chapter 14 – Military Training...MARINE STYLE! - Part Three**

The Colonel paused after the morning's inspection. Satisfied that he had a sober, though sleep-addled crew in his midst, he thumbed both Kelly and Merlin over to stand on either side of him. He spoke loud and clear, his voice carrying across the castle's training grounds. "Guess what time it is!" he yelled, looking exaggeratedly jubilant. Clapping his hands together once, he stated, "It's 'Go' time, ladies!" Already he could hear the groans of defeat, and the teams hadn't even begun running yet.

David suppressed a gleeful laugh and instead firmed up his stance. "We begin this morning with our beloved five mile run! You will be split up into two teams: Kelly will lead the advanced runners on ahead at what I hope is a challenging pace, and Merlin-" he clapped a hand on the boy's thin shoulder-"will lead the Turtle team! He might not be as fast, but he will boost your endurance!" With a decisive nod at the manservant, David smiled, clapping Merlin's shoulder again. "They're all yours, son." He was anxious to put the often-humiliated and abused servant in charge for once. There was nothing quite like turning the tables on people in power to make them realize how precarious their positions really were...

Merlin stood and uneasily surveyed the knights. They seemed fine with his leading role; not so much the case for Arthur. The Prince was incredulous, visibly insulted, and all at once trying to swallow his rampant pride. Really, was it that awful to take direction from one's servant? Merlin couldn't contain the goofy grin at that particular thought. Ah, nothing like a forced lesson in humility...

The Colonels nodded to his assistants to move off to collect their teams. "Leon! Elyan! Gwaine! You're with Kelly!" He saw the twitch on his son-in-law's face, but continued as though he had seen nothing.

"Booyah!" Gwaine paused as his fellow knights looked at him strangely. "What? It's a common shout of victory in 2012." More cautious glances. "I guess you just have to have been there..." He jogged on over to swing an arm around the shoulders of his Prince's wife. "Hey, 'Red'-"

-"Gwaine, get your hands off my wife before I remove them FOR you!" There was no mistaking the fury in Arthur's voice as he stood in the other group. He looked about ready to charge on over to do just what he had threatened to do.

Gwaine dropped his arm, bending to speak in the woman's ear. "Somebody's a bit touchy today..." He straightened up and gave off a wide, teasing grin. "Wouldn't want to infringe on your territory, Sire! It's all good!"

David clapped a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "Son, leave it. Just some harmless foolin' around. Learn to roll with it, you hear me? No room for hotheads in my company." His own voice held a note of warning. When Arthur visibly backed down, nodding his acceptance, the Colonel moved on.

"Lancelot! Arthur! Percival! You're with Merlin! Remember who's in charge, people! I'll be trailin' along behind to catch any stragglers!"

With ten minutes spent in stretching and discussion about injury prevention, the Colonel finally stood back with hands on hips. "All right, people! MOVE OUT!" And with that, both teams were off.

The sun was coming up over the hills, making the fields and trees that much greener in contrast. For the most part, the teams were fairly close together, maybe twenty feet apart. Upon hitting about the three-mile mark, there was an undeniable sense of fatigue, especially among those in the Turtle group. All playful banter had ceased, and they struggled to keep moving. When it got too silent, the Colonel started calling out cadence, trying to rally that all-important group effort. This run was still an improvement over the last time, he mused. They were learning, and finally growing to be more of a team.

Returning to the castle training field, he put Percival in charge of planks—upon demonstrating how the exercise was done. The burly knight quickly took up the challenge, adopting as commanding a presence as the Colonel himself. Within minutes he was walking the rows, bending to chastise his fellow knights when their technique was off.

"SUCK IT IN!" Percival yelled, forgetting for a moment who he was standing over. When a stormy pair of blue eyes met his own, he added hastily, "SIRE!" Still, the Prince corrected his posture, though his glare promised retribution.

Training continued like that for most of the day. When they got to the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, they thought they were in familiar territory—until the first demonstration. The Colonel introduced them to a series of throwing techniques. A few yelped with the shock of being sent crashing to the ground, and others grunted on impact. Everyone suffered the same fate, lead by an enthusiastic Colonel all the while.

Arthur felt his pride hit an all-time low when his own wife sent him crashing down hard on his right shoulder. He cried out in pain and looked up at her in utter shock. "Ow!" he cried. "You didn't have to be quite so mean about it!"

Kelly grinned, helping him up. "Sorry. I'm small. I make big moves to compensate for my lack of size. " She felt all eyes on them and immediately shoved him back. "ONE more time! C'mon, you're supposed to try to take me down!"

Arthur stared at her in a state of conflict. "But I-I can't throw a woman-" No sooner had he said that when her leg shot out and swept his feet out from under him. Face down on the grass, he resolved to change his way of thinking...


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

The drive into Los Angeles had been fun. Watching Arthur's knights' jaws practically hit the floor in astonishment at this world of the future had been entertaining. Forced to leave their swords and armour at home, and made to dress in modern attire, they fit in but were noticeably tense. Looking at Elyan in the rear-view mirror was practically a replay of Arthur's first time out on the open road! Kelly did try her best not to laugh out loud. The poor man was battling culture shock.

The combination of lights and sounds both outside and inside the Cineplex theatre, and the vast array of people casually strolling by, some couples showing VERY public displays of affection, the Knights of Camelot looked distinctly ill-at-ease. Gwaine and Merlin tried their best to help the others loosen up and enjoy the change of scenery. Gwaine simply enjoyed the 'scenery' with appreciative glances at all the scantily clad young women.

Kelly paid for the admission tickets, with a possessive Arthur glued to her side. If another man or teenaged boy dared to look at Kelly, they were immediately attacked with a sharp cerulean blue glare.

Merlin took the others to the theatre's arcade zone. The quiet facade was gone fairly quickly then, as knight after knight took his turn shooting at virtual criminals—and cheering quite loudly when he was victorious. Their loud banter and rough play had heads turning in curiosity. It was the sight of grown men being loud and boisterous, though courteous if other patrons wished to step in and play. Their speech drew attention as well, as it was a marked contrast with the American accent.

Sir Leon stood with arms crossed over his chest as Percival attempted a sport called 'snowboarding'. Each time the brawny knight ran his character into a tree, a building, or into the side of a ramp, Leon would laugh out loud. "While you are a fearsome warrior, Percival," he teased lightly, "Perhaps you'd better stay away from this 'snowboarding'. It clearly isn't for everyone!" He received a scathing look as the Knight tried to focus.

"Shut your trap, Leon," Percival growled, his arms out to try to aid his balance. His eyes followed the virtual trail in front of him, and he attempted to ride successfully. "I'm not bad...for a beginner." He rolled his shoulders uncomfortably.

When Percival was done, he graciously stepped aside for a small boy. In moments the boy made a mockery of his attempt with near perfect execution of each of the challenges.

Leon sniggered quietly, but Elyan crowed, "Percival's been bested by a CHILD!" The knights laughed, meaning no harm, but Percival's face burned with embarrassment. As he passed Elyan, he punched the dark knight's shoulder with purpose. Elyan winced and ceased making fun of his comrade. Clearly he had hit a sore spot...

With movie tickets in hand, it was time to line up and purchase snacks. This, Kelly concluded, looked very much like a bunch of overgrown kids in a candy store. None of them knew what to do with all of these choices laid out before them. They looked lost, frightened for a moment, and then a sudden burst of joy lit the faces of the other knights. Her own husband seemed embarrassed by this display, his own face crimson, as he hissed at the ones who were beginning to behave like five-year-olds to behave and to carry themselves "in a manner best representing Camelot". No, _that_ didn't cause heads to turn, not at _all_...They instantly looked guilty and were very apologetic to their Future King, struggling to contain their mounting excitement.

Elyan and Percival stepped out of line to look at the display at the front of the counter, their eyes wide with a mixture of awe and anticipation. One would point at something, and the other would shake his head, suggesting another. In moments they looked anxious and antsy, casting glances back at their friends as they considered their choices.

Leon watched the popcorn maker and frowned in discomfort. The thing didn't stop, and exploded popcorn kernels constantly filled the glass-walled chamber. _ Magic_, he thought, still carrying some of the disdain for magic that Camelot's previous ruler had outlawed. If anything bore the resemblance to magic, it made Leon uneasy. He watched patrons leave the countertops with huge bags of the stuff. He wondered briefly if it was all some giant enchantment.

Gwaine stood with folded arms, and he cast his glance sideways when he felt eyes upon his tall form. He caught two young ladies watching him and whispering to each other. If he hadn't been so handsome, he might have taken insult to their giggling episode. Ah, they were probably wondering how he kept such amazing hair... He smiled, winking at them, and he got a look of disdain that made him straighten in defence. Then they quickly gestured to a spot just behind him.

Gwaine followed their gazes and nearly choked on air when he realized they were busy scoping out the Prince's manservant! Of course, Merlin was oblivious to this inspection, talking quietly with Kelly, finally nodding about something. When he finally did notice all the attention, he smiled awkwardly, managing a casual half-wave, and his ears burned red in his uncomfortable state.

~.~.~

They were an odd sight indeed, all seven of them seated in the middle of the darkened theatre. They restlessly waited for the movie to start, having opted to see Titanic in the AVX auditorium. Kelly had promised it would be 'epic' and the sight and sound of this ramped-up theatre would make it far more real for the senses. They were at times too loud, and their British accents drew many curious stares in the time leading up to the movie's first commercial. Those from out-of-time had been warned that it was a four-hour long commitment.

From the moment the movie started, with its theatrical music and the larger-than-life screen come to life with vivid colours, their faces were awe-stricken. Eyes wide, they watched a spectacle unlike anything they had ever witnessed before.

From the moment the scene cut in, and they watched people of a bygone era admire the "ship of dreams", they were whispering to each other, nodding in astonishment. The sheer size of the vessel left the knights nearly speechless.

Unable to tear his eyes from the stunning sight of this "unsinkable" ship, Arthur asked softly, "This...really happened?"

Kelly spoke quietly, her hands gesticulating. "Based on the true story, but James Cameron uses a LOT of artistic license in this production. Just go with it." She thought a moment, adding, "Think of it as a...minstrel performing for the Court, orchestrating a reproduction of some significant event in your history—with LOTS of theatrics to keep an audience's interest. Creating a story within a story."

Arthur nodded, understanding a bit of what his wife meant. Still, the way this event was brought to focus, it was incredible. Everything was so real and _vivid_...

~.~.~

Camelot's men had become an emotional lot not even half an hour into the movie. Arthur was openly apalled by the behaviour of this 'Rose' character, by her loose nature. That did not sit well with the Future King of Camelot. Percival audibly threatened Rose's fiance when he had hit her on screen, and earned a few strange looks and calls to "SHUT UP!" that sent the infuriated knight back to his seat again. He slumped, still fuming—until Merlin explained that it was all pretend. Percival had looked somewhat unconvinced, but Leon had patted his shoulder reassuringly.

They had audibly gasped in disbelief when the engine room flooded, fear and sadness touching each of their gazes. Again, more strange glances and snickers from the younger members of the audience. And when the crew began to lock steerage passengers below deck after the ship had struck the iceberg, well, the entirety of Camelot's knights were practically shaking their fists at such an inhumane reaction to the lack of available lifeboats. And to watch the ship sink, to snap in half as it upended, had left hearts in throats.

As the last credits rolled, they all sat there, stunned and silent. They had seen tragedy and death, and the total disregard for human life in their own time. It was difficult to see it all played out so poignantly on a giant screen with music and (in their opinions) very believable acting, and to see bodies in the water...That had sent a couple of the knights swiping at their faces to hide evidence of tears.

Kelly feared for a moment that perhaps she had actually managed to traumatize her husband's beloved knights. That was until they emerged from the auditorium to the lobby of the theatre. In the presence of the other movie patrons and staff, they became the manly men they had presented themselves to be in the first place. They were, once more, ridiculous and too loud and looking to get kicked out.

So much for lasting impressions...


	16. Chapter 16

**Thanks, everyone, for adding this story and its parent to Favorites, and just generally keeping stride with me! You don't know how much this means to me! Anyway, I've thrown in a multi-part piece that I intend to carry on with directly after...so you won't have to wait (as long). This one's just got too much potential. Thanks again, and enjoy!**

**Chapter 16 – Independence Day!**

"GRAMPA!" Alexandra Pendragon's voice carried as she bolted from the SUV the moment her mother set her loose from her booster seat. She was out before anyone else, and in moments she was scooped up into a familiar, tight embrace. "I missed you!" The formal tones she'd adopted while living in Camelot slipped and gave way to the American southern twang she'd been exposed to since birth. Hugging her maternal grandfather tight, she kissed his cheek and smiled into warm brown eyes, framing his face with her small hands. "Grampa, wait 'til you see Marissa! She's so cute! She started rollin' like a log across Momma's and Daddy's floor last night, an' it was so cool!"

Brigadier General David Lee Anderson grinned ear to ear at his granddaughter, nodding at Alexandra's quickly flowing words. "Okay, okay, half-pint," he interrupted gently, setting her down to her feet, "Let's go see if we can lend your momma a hand, hmm?"

David had barely taken a step off the front porch when the passenger door of the SUV opened, and the King of Camelot got out looking for all the world like he was completely out of his element. He clearly felt ill-at-ease in this strange land.

Squaring his shoulders, David strode over, offering a hand in greeting. "Good to see you, Uther," he greeted cheerfully, clasping the King's shoulder with his own sense of authority. "Alex, see if your mom needs a bag or two brought in, please, sweetheart?"

'Kay!" Alexandra skipped over to the other side of the Nissan Pathfinder.

David paused and laughed once the child was out of earshot. "Man, that li'l girl is a firecracker, isn't she?" His eyes were lit with mirth. "C'mon in. We've got two hours before the barbeque." He paused and turned to yell, "I brought your surfboard home yesterday, 'Kel!"

Those words were promptly met with a loud squeal and a triumphant, "YEAH! Surf's UP!" Kelly paused once handing Marissa Pendragon's car seat to Arthur, and she turned with a huge grin. "Dad, you rock!"

David laughed, leading the way back up to his front door. "An' I know it," he called back. He met Uther's confused, uncomfortable gaze and shrugged. "The least I can do when my girl's been gone so long."

Uther followed David into the house, pausing in the doorway. He turned to see his son and daughter-in-law ascend the porch steps. He pointed to his former ward, stating, "I don't know what this 'surfing' is, but if it is even remotely dangerous, you will not be participating in such things. Do I make myself clear?"

"Oh, come on!" Kelly glanced incredulously at her husband and rounded to face Uther. "It's not dangerous. I've been doing this for years. It's just...fun." She shrugged, stepping past him. "Besides, I'll be out there with twenty or so Marines. What could possibly go wrong?"


	17. Chapter 17 Part 2

**Thanks for following, and thanks for the new Favorites/Story Alerts, and especially reviews. You guys rock! I hope you enjoy the second and last installment for my Independence Day write-up. Feel free to offer up more suggestions! I'll keep this going for as long as you are interested. In other words...REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! :D Thought I'd put it out there. ;)**

**Cheers and Ciao!**

**Chapter 17 – Independence Day (Part Two)!**

"Look, Granddad, a hermit crab!" Alexandra ran from the water to the boardwalk, the small creature cupped in her hands. "They get too big for their first shells, and then you can get 'em a really cool one!" She stopped at where the King of Camelot sat on one of the cascading steps that lead down to the sand, and she sat down right beside him. "See? Isn't he so cute?"

Uther flinched slightly at the specimen that the child presented, but he tried to nod in a composed manner. "Ah. Yes, lovely. Perhaps you should...let it go, my dear. I don't suppose the creature likes to be handled so," he suggested gently, working to hide the revulsion in his voice.

"Oh, I know! I just really wanted to see one up close, an' then I'll let him go. I promise." She turned the creature this way and that, studying its habitat with great interest. Blowing on the shell gently, she watched with a huge grin as the creature ventured out of its shell a bit in search of her warm breath. Her momma had taught her that trick a while back. "See, that's what he really looks like." She turned and held the crab up in front of her grandfather's face. "See?"

Uther nodded once more, gently pushing her hand out of his face. "Yes, yes. Very...entertaining." He glanced up the waterfront. "Where is your mother?"

"Surfing," Alexandra chirped.

"Your father?"

"Some of Grampa's friends wanted to see Marissa, so Grampa's showing Daddy around." Alexandra was still studying the creature closely, tilting it this way and that, letting it crawl all over her hand. "And I'm here with YOU!" She turned a bright smile to her Granddad. "They have a crafts table set up in the tent, Granddad. Can you come with me? I wanna go paint and make stuff." She blinked up at the King expectantly, her big blue eyes full of hope.

Uther nodded after a moment, rising to his feet. Asking Alexandra again to release the crab, he took the child's small hand and walked with her up the beach a bit. "Perhaps we should have waited for your father to return. You know your old Granddad isn't artistically inclined..."

"Then you'd never get to spend time with me," Alexandra argued firmly. She squeezed her grandfather's hand affectionately. "You're always busy at the castle, and here you get to have fun. You can do kid stuff, an' I can show you how!"

Uther laughed at the absurdity of this proposal, but he nodded. He raised his hands in surrender.. "All right," he conceded with a laugh. "My time is yours. Do with me what you will, lass."

Impatient, Alexandra pulled him along. "COME ON! Let's GO!"

~.~.~

"Major Joel Hansen," David greeted with a smile and a handshake, "I'd like you to meet my son-in-law, Arthur Pendragon."

The officer blinked, his face set in question for a moment before he smiled and shook the young man's outstretched hand. "Now, there's a legendary name if I ever heard one," Joel said with a laugh, nodding in greeting. "Good to meet you, Arthur. How's the old man treating you?" He turned briefly to see what his teenagers were up to at the water. They were busy preparing two of his seadoos to hit the waves. "My kids; Naomi and Peter. They're about to head out and zip around the sand bar."

David laughed, nodding. "Yeah, I remember those days. Kelly and Danny used to stage dogfights way the hell out in deep water, and you'd cringe just watching them." He illustrated with his hands the distance he spoke of. "THIS close to runnin' into each other at fifty miles per hour! And they'd do this repeatedly, sometimes 'til one of them ran out of fuel."

Arthur chuckled at this. He could see that happening. He knew his wife was a risk-taker. He had learned so much about her personality in the last year, and she had given him a heart attack on so many levels over so many things...but he wouldn't trade life with this modern woman for an easy life with a Princess who had been perfectly schooled in royal protocol. Kelly always left him feeling challenged—over nearly everything! Even with all the frustration and the pains of growing accustomed to raising a family, Arthur would trade none of it for even a moment.

Joel laughed, wrinkling his heavily lined brow in question. "Wait—little Kelly? Hell, I remember her back when you first came on board with the base!"

"Oh, yeah! Man, she could handle that seadoo like nothin'. Kept up with her brother, gave him a good run more times than you can count."

Joel shrugged. "I don't doubt it. She's gotta be, what, twenty-five now?"

"Twenty-eight," David corrected, grinning with pride. "A doctor, too."

Joel whistled low and nodded. "Too bad she didn't join the Marines, too, eh?" He caught the offended look that crossed the young man's face. The Major's eyes drifted to the child resting in the man's arms. "Well, now, who's this little peanut?"

"That, Major, is my newest granddaughter. Marissa Ygraine Pendragon, six months old." David grinned at his son-in-law. "Her first Fourth of July celebration, and there'll be lots more to come." He gestured about, adding, "Her big sister's somewhere around here with Arthur's father."

Joel smiled, taking the alert baby into his own arms. He raised his eyes to look at the child's father. He wasn't a very big man, standing barely six feet, but he was in pretty decent shape. _ Nice neat appearance_, Joel thought with a nod of approval. "Well, you've got a busy family, now, haven't you, son?"

Arthur smiled at this note of hospitality and bowed his head respectfully. "Indeed. Never a dull moment," he answered honestly. He wanted badly to take Marissa back, but he suspected such a move would appear hostile. He was quickly gathering that the Marines were a family in their own right, and that their own families were an extension of that relationship.

Joel froze and smiled. "Whoa, we got ourselves a real Brit. Where's that accent from?"

Arthur quickly flipped through his recollection of present day Great Britain. _Where would Camelot be in this era?_ he asked himself, masking his moment of stress with a polite cough behind his hand. And then he remembered what Kelly had said, about how the 'legends' began in that region. Legends. Bah! People wouldn't know the truth if it jumped up and bit them..."Glastonbury, Major," he answered smoothly.

Joel burst out laughing then, nodding. "Ah, man, you got a wicked sense of humour," he declared. "Arthur, Ygraine, Pendragon..." He shook his head, still chuckling, and raised an eyebrow in appreciation. "Good way to stir up a few questions for the anthropologists of the world! Good on you, son." He turned to David and nodded. "He's funny."

David laughed, nodding, clapping the young man on the shoulder. "That's why we love him." the Brigadier General paused and held his arms out. "Mind if I take my granddaughter back, Major?"

"Aw, c'mon, Sir!" Joel's tone was playful as he hugged the child closer. "I was gonna give you my teenagers in exchange! There's HOPE for this one! She can still be trained!" He got a quizzical look from the baby herself and shrugged, staring back at her with wide eyes. "What, you choose your daddy over me? Kid, I could have you water skiing by the time you turn two." He made a funny face, earning a giggle, and a small hand swiped at his nose. "All right, okay. Go to your Grampa. He's getting a little antsy..." Joel handed her back, grinning. "Aw, she's a doll, Sir. She's a right mix of the two, ain't she?"

David nodded, cradling the baby close in a football hold. "Yeah, she is. Alexandra looks more like Arthur, I think, but wait 'til you see her. Cute as a button, that one. Gonna have to keep a shotgun visible at all times when these girls get older." He glanced at Arthur and nodded. "Better learn to shoot, boy."

"Oi! I am a marksman in my own right," Arthur argued, crossing his arms over his chest. "I simply prefer archery, throwing knives...The quieter arts, I suppose." He suddenly felt quite inadequate in the skills of modern warfare.

"But you've never handled a rifle or handgun a day in your life," Joel guessed. At that, the young man shook his head and appeared a bit shamefaced. Sipping at his beer, Joel pointed to the blond man. "That's okay. We still got somethin' to work with."

~.~.~

Kelly had spent nearly an hour out at sea, finally riding in on the breakers after having inhaled sea water more times than she could count. Man, it had been a while...

"Nice run out there," commented one of the Marines who had been surfing nearby. "You really know how to cutback on the barrels." Walking alongside the pretty auburn-haired woman, he took in her appearance with an appreciative smile. She wore a bikini top and boarder shorts, her long hair tied back in a tight french braid. She wore sporty sunglasses. Nice tan...And then he saw the ring on her left hand. That thing was HUGE. Probably just engaged, he hoped, keeping stride. He put his hand out in greeting, stepping in front of her to offer his hand. "Captain Nick Forbes of the Fourth Infantry Squadron, ma'am. And you are?" She was tiny, standing maybe five-foot-two, and her smile was dazzling.

Kelly tried not to laugh out loud, so she simply smiled and nodded. "Kelly Pendragon," she said, shaking his massive hand. God, he was built! Not nearly as handsome as the man she had married, but he was nice looking. "My father's Brigadier General of the Marine Corps."

Nicholas released the woman's hand and his eyes went wide with shock. "Wait—Anderson's girl? You?" He openly assessed her miniature frame. "But he's huge! You're...not." He thought a moment and smiled. "You wouldn't be trying to ditch me, would you? C'mon, a pretty little thing like you shouldn't be out here alone. It's a party!"

Kelly glanced out at sea and did laugh, this time. She shook her head. "I'm definitely not alone, Captain. My husband, my two daughters, and my Father-in-Law are all present for the day. But thanks for your concern!" With a wave over her shoulder, she walked off in the direction of her family's campsite.

Nicholas stood watching the woman leave, and he did momentarily admire her backside before muttering, "Damn. It's always the cute ones..."

Kelly reached her family's sun shelter and set her board to stand against the corner. She looked over to see a glaring King of Camelot. "Hey! Having fun, Uther?" She turned and grabbed her water bottle from her chair. "Alex, what did you guys do?" She watched her daughter dig just outside the structure, and the child built the beginnings of a sand castle.

"We painted, an' I showed Granddad how to do Spin Art! He did some really cool stuff!" Alexandra beamed up at her grandfather, pleased to see the man nod his approval. "How was surfing, Momma?"

"Dangerous," Uther answered sharply, directing a fierce grey gaze to his daughter-in-law. "I thought you said surfing was safe? What I witnessed was nothing of the sort. More than a few times I wondered if we would have to send the Lifeguards in after you." He indicated the binoculars he had found with which to watch the Future Queen zip in and out of the mountainous walls of water out at sea. The speed she travelled had been shocking, and the spills Uther had witnessed were alarming, to say the least. True to form, the tiny woman was back on her board and attacking the waves like a demon each and every time with a look of utter concentration on her face. His own face illustrated his distinct lack of approval for her sport of choice.

Kelly laughed and shook her head. "Nah, it's all good. You need to stop worrying and just chill out! I had a blast out there!" She gestured toward the beach, adding, "You missed Mr. Army Captain trying to hit on me. That was kind of sad, really, but who's judging..." She smiled behind her shades and sat down.

She started when something landed squarely on her chest. Lifting her shades to look, she smirked. Yep, the old man had problems with the culture of the day. Clearly he meant for her to cover up with her fleece jacket. She tossed it aside, muttering as she closed her eyes, "Too hot for that. I'll melt."

~.~.~

By nightfall, Marissa was asleep on her mother's back, in the same mei-tai Kelly had used for Alexandra six years back. The entire population had feasted on hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, potatoes, and the drinks (alcoholic and otherwise) were flowing on the Military dollar. Needless to say, there were a lot of drunk people about the place, many getting rowdy into the night.

Arthur walked with his wife and children, watching Alexandra run up ahead and throw more seashells into the canvas bag she'd brought along for this excursion. It was very clear to see that she adored the ocean. Casting his eyes back to his wife, he said, "These Marines are an...intimidating bunch. Are they all so bloody _big_?"

Kelly laughed, nodding. "They're the best of the best," she said, taking his hand. "They're supposed to be intimidating. So clearly, they're doing their job!" She gave Arthur a bright smile, accepting the arm he slung across her shoulders. She hugged him back, loosening her hold when Marissa wiggled around a bit in the carrier.

They walked over to the docks to watch the fireworks. Whistles and bangs sounded, music filled the air, and colours filled the night sky over the water. The fireworks were being shot off from a boat further out to sea, giving the people on shore an excellent view.

"Wow!" Alexandra swung her legs on the docks edge, leaning on her father as she watched the stunning display. "Granddad, LOOK! SPINNERS!" Her small hand traced the pattern of the blown-out fireworks. "I love the red ones. Which ones do you like?" A smile lit her face as she looked up at her paternal grandfather. "You've never seen fireworks before, have you, Granddad?"

Uther glanced over at his son and daughter-in-law. "Once before, Alex. And even that small display was an impressive sight. This..." He gestured to the night sky. "This is absolutely beyond all imagination. I won't soon forget this." He wore a genuine smile, amazed by the day he had had with his family, among new friends, all in the spirit of camaraderie. He understood what it was Kelly had loved about her world, and why giving it up had been so difficult. This Fourth of July celebration, he vowed, would become a tradition to be upheld.

David glanced over at the King, a bit surprised to see the man at ease and openly giving Alexandra a hug. Perhaps you could teach an old dog new tricks... The Brigadier General smiled and watched the Grand Finale with a sense of peace. Yep, he had an odd family. But it was the most unique family on the planet. "Happy Independence Day, guys," he offered quietly, pride lighting his face. This was the life...


	18. Chapter 18

**Sorry, the last one fell flat. My apologies. But at the request of Afanoflife, I've added a little something that I hope makes you guys smile. It's just a short drabble, but it's cute. Enjoy, review, and suggest other things you'd like to see! Ciao!**

**Chapter 18– Drabble Based on Independence Day**

"Granddad, LOOK!" SPLAT! Alexandra's hands shifted to form the shape of a butterfly on the huge, communal sheet of paper that took up the entire two picnic tables set together in the crafts tent. She lifted both her red and blue hands up to show the newcomer. "You wanna try? C'mon, it's fun! Looks cool, too!" She quickly stamped her open palms haphazardly across the paper, leaving a huge collage of hand-prints.

The child's enthusiasm was contagious, for even the King of Camelot himself tentatively got in on the fun. Though considerably more conservative and using one of the oversized paintbrushes available, rather than making his own hands filthy, Uther gave himself over to artistic impulse. Glancing once at his eldest grandchild, he watched as she tried splattering paint by flicking her own brush toward the paper. Laughing, he asked, "What are you doing, Alexandra?"

Alexandra turned her blond little head to look at her grandfather, and she gave him an excited, toothy grin. "Paint Splatters! I saw this on Artzooka, an' Momma showed me how to do it, an' it's so pretty." She turned her head back to her work and frowned in thought. "Needs sparkles."

"Alex, honey, here you go," said an older woman as she handed The Brigadier General's granddaughter a small plate of multicoloured sparkles. She was greying, slightly, but she appeared to be in excellent shape. "That's all for now, kiddo. The other kids will want some, too." Lori smiled at the child, seeing open amusement on the man's lined face. "They love this part of the day," she said with a friendly smile. "Alex has been coming to this since she was a baby, and we have just watched this li'l miss grow up." She frowned in question. "I don't think we've seen you here at Pendleton before."

Uther shook his head, setting his brush down to converse. "No, this would be our first time here. Lovely celebration, though, I must say."

"Well, thank you! I'll pass it on to the Committee." Lori nodded and glanced about. "You must be Alexandra's grandfather. I met her father a while ago, and you two sound very much the same. British, right?" Her own accent was a soft southern lilt, and in comparison the newcomer was very reserved.

Uther nodded, cautious not to reveal more than was necessary "Indeed."

Lori bent to help each child in turn, handing them a variety of supplies and decorative bits. She turned abruptly when one of the little ones beside her squeaked. "Hey—Robert, stop flicking paint at your sister. You know she hates that," she scolded, taking the little boy's brush away. "Now, go see your dad, sweetheart. You need to go play." She rolled her eyes and smiled at Uther. "Ages and stages, I tell ya..."

Uther grinned, watching the little dark boy race out of the tent. It reminded the ageing King about his son's young life, when Arthur had been out to cause trouble. In contrast, Alexandra was tame. She had a sense of empathy that her father had not possessed at such a young age. Glancing at her work, again, he laughed out loud when the very...sparkly project met his vision. "Well, now, that is...bright," he commented, setting a hand on the girl's back.

"Yep!" Alexandra giggled and set her plate in front of the coordinator. "Lori, do you have some colouring books and crayons?" she asked politely. In seconds she was handed two books, and Alexandra set one in front of her grandfather. "Here, Granddad, you can colour with me!" She set a pack of crayons in front of him, and she settled onto her heels as she opened the book she'd chosen—a book of fairies. "It's really easy. You just take a crayon-" she demonstrated as she spoke-" and move it all around your paper. But try to keep the colours inside the lines, okay? It's not how fast you can do it, it's how hard you try to do your best," she advised. "Momma says I'm really good with crayons, an' we used them in Kindergarten." She paused in thought, looking at her grandfather. "Tommy tried to eat one, so the teacher took it away." She shook her head, rolling her own eyes in disdain. "He's just gotta learn..."

Uther stared at Camelot's heir incredulously. Yes, she talked a lot...but she spoke quite coherently, and she sounded very much like her own mother when she gave instruction. The King chuckled to himself as he sought to do as she had instructed. Under normal circumstances, he would have refused to participate in such activities...but here, in this land, his Kingly status just did not matter. He could bond with this child and really come down to her level for a short while. And, low and behold, he saw the value in such pastimes. It was very...relaxing. Nodding his approval, he coloured in a strange looking vehicle called "Lightning McQueen". How odd...

"Lookin' good!" Alexandra chirped, pausing to watch her grandfather's first foray into colouring with wax crayons. "Granddad, I think you got it!"


	19. Chapter 19

**Here's something that even the modern person can relate to. But I thought it would be fun to give our heroic Prince of Camelot a new facet to his personality, to remove his fearless persona just a bit... Enjoy, review, and suggest! It's all good! :)**

**Chapter 19**

Arthur blinked at his wife in shock when he realized what she had just asked of him. "Wait—Fly? A-as in board one of those-those flying machines?" She nodded matter-of-factly, her arms settled over her growing stomach. "Why? Doesn't Danny usually come to California to be with everyone? We could open the portal and-"

-"It's our turn to travel," Kelly interjected softly. "That's exactly the way we've done it for the past six years,ever since Danny got his job . And I'm not opposed to a four-hour flight across the country. Alex will be six, and the baby will be a few months old." She reached for her husband's hands, taking them into her own. She watched her husband with wide, anxious hazel eyes. "Think of all the sights you can see; Manhattan, Time Square on New Year's Eve, Staten Island..." She bit her lip, hoping her attempt at visualization was working, and she did see something bounce around behind that man's stubborn gaze. "Come on, it'd be fun! It would be an amazing Christmas," she cajoled. "I need to see my family at that time of year, and just imagine all your_ firsts_..!" Tightening her hold on his hands, she whispered, "_Our_ firsts..."

Arthur ran a hand through his dirty blond hair and he paused, completely apprehensive. "It's not the leaving Camelot that bothers me," he admitted, clearly battling inner demons. "I.." He grimaced as shame flooded his face a deep red. "I-I could handle the driving. I can even handle Alex riding a bicycle...but_ flying._..." Arthur shook his head as dread filled his core. He strode to look out the window of his chambers. Fighting for the proper words, he stuttered, "I-I find the idea of-of flying to be...frightening."


	20. Chapter 20

**More to Chapter 19! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 20**

"Wow, look at this place! It's amazing!"

"Sure, amazing. Let's go with that. Forget that it's packed with thousands of people, that giant machines carry people into the air from this place. Did you know that aeroplanes crash? Yes, apparently, every so often, a plane just stops working up in the sky and crash-lands in an open field, or the ocean, maybe a lake..." The Prince-Regent had developed an obvious nervous tick, visibly cringing at the very thought of any one of those options.

"Oh, come on! You're just being negative, now!" Merlin clapped a hand on his master's shoulder and gestured to the Future Queen of Camelot. She had gone up to the ticket counter with her father, asking about procedures with regard to strollers and baby bags. "Kelly's flown many times, and she's still here."

"Yep, and it will likely be _my _flight in which something goes wrong, and I'm going to wind up in pieces." Arthur visibly paled, clutching the handle of his suitcase for dear life. "All right, I'm seriously considering your Ativan offer. How does this stuff work?"

"Just settles your nerves, that's all. You're so keyed up that it would be a good idea to take _something_." Merlin handed Arthur the small bottle of pills that Kelly had slipped him earlier. If she had suggested such a thing, Arthur would have staunchly refused, allowing his pride to alter his decisions. But if _Merlin_ were to bring it up, it might not be so easily dismissed...That and, Kelly had warned Merlin that if Arthur went off the rails on board a flight, they could all be very easily kicked off in the middle of some obscure little town.. And that, Merlin determined, would not happen.

Arthur paused in the corridor, took the bottle of water his manservant offered, and popped an Ativan tablet. "This had better work," he groaned.

They got through Security and finally got to the boarding gate where families, the elderly and the infirm were offered the chance to board first. The small group took this offer, soon walking the tunnel leading to the aircraft entrance.

It wasn't until they've set foot on the plane that Arthur stopped, grabbing the door frame with outstretched arms. A sharp nudge from his father-in-law propelled him clumsily forward, and he forced several deep breaths as he took in the small, confined space, heard the whine of the plane's massive engines, felt the vibration beneath his feet...

Merlin nodded at Kelly, assuring her that he had this situation under control—as he handed the tablets back to the doctor. She smiled when she realized that Merlin had gotten the Prat to take the medication. He forced a straight face, moving ahead of his master. "Arthur, let's just get to our seats, now..."

Brigadier General Anderson leaned forward and asked softly, "Did you manage to sedate your man, sweetheart?" He knew the Prince could be stubborn as hell, and he was relieved to see that someone had managed to do something. He'd never encountered anyone quite so afraid of flying, but he supposed the strangeness of this technology played a huge role in Arthur's fears. The man was, after all, accustomed to riding horses and wearing armour, fighting with swords and not guns...All right, there was a bit of a gap between the two worlds...

~.~.~

Once in the air, with the medication having taken effect, Arthur sat watching his eldest child draw with one of her portable art studios. Alexandra seemed perfectly content, smiling brightly when the flight stewardess offered her a juice box. The woman was just as kind when asked if she could heat a bottle for Marissa. The baby was content to sit and stare at Arthur while seated on his lap.

"I feel like an idiot for the way I behaved in the airport," he confessed, turning his gaze to where his wife sat listening to her Iphone. Realizing she hadn't even heard his admission, he settled back and continued to make funny faces that made Marissa giggle.

David stepped over and held his arms out toward the father-daughter duo. "Here, son, hand me my grand-baby. Marissa and Grampa have some bonding to do," he said with a grin. Truly, he thought the Prince could use some quiet time to adapt to his surroundings, maybe watch the movie...He still seemed tense, though the Ativan did wonders to cap his panic response.

Alexandra turned her head and pouted slightly. "Grandpa, what about me?"

"Hey, now, you get your ol' Grampa all the time, half-pint," David admonished gently, taking the baby up over Kelly's head and into his arms. "Marissa needs her turn, too. I'll change over in a bit, and you and I can watch Mulan when it starts. How 'bout that?"

Alexandra squealed and grinned. "They're showing Mulan? That's so cool!" She considered this and nodded her agreement. "Okay, you're on. Movie date!"

David linked pinkies with his eldest granddaughter and laughed, nodding. "That's right. See you in half an hour. Don't be late," he teased.

Alexandra spread her arms in illustration, glancing all about. "Grampa, where am I gonna go?"

David grinned and walked away with a gurgling Marissa in his arms. "You folks enjoy your down-time. I'll just be entertaining this one, now, right peanut?" The baby suddenly shrieked and swiped at her grandfather out of sheer joy. Passengers looked on with, some with irritation, and some with obvious amusement over the older man's cheerful antics.

Hands now empty, Arthur sat back and looked around his small, assigned space. There were buttons for lighting overhead, there was a 'call' button to summon the airline steward/stewardess, buttons to change radio stations and television stations...Buttons controlled this world. It was the strangest thing. He narrowed his eyes and studied the topside of the crowded aircraft. Satisfied that nothing was out of place, he finally closed his eyes and-

-THUMP! The entire plane shook, making more than a few of the passengers nervous.

"Whatwasthat?" The words flew out of the Regent's mouth, and his hand shot out to grab his wife's hand. His eyes were wide with alarm, and he kept glancing around, expecting to see the source of trouble.

A crackle sounded over the speakers, and a calm male voice spoke. "Good afternoon, folks. This is your Captain speaking. We...apologize for that little bit of turbulence," he said smoothly, his voice completely devoid of stress. "We are travelling at an altitude of thirty-five thousand feet, we got ourselves a nice, clear sky, and it looks like fairly smooth sailing from here on in. Thank you for flying American Airlines."

When the announcement ended, Arthur muttered, "Smooth sailing my ass..." Kelly shot him a reprimanding, albeit amused, glance, shaking her head. "What? The plane shakes around, and I'm supposed to be all right with that?" Arthur hissed, visibly rattled.

Kelly removed one earphone and levelled a gaze on her husband. "Air turbulence is completely normal, Arthur. It's just crossing jet streams, sometimes a shift in weather pattern—but we've got clear skies. We're fine," she assured him, setting a calming hand on his tensed arm. "Relax. We'll live through this, we'll land at JFK, and we'll have a week to take in a new and exciting place. It's all good."

Meeting his wife's placating gaze, Arthur nodded shakily and shut his eyes again, not before staring at the ceiling and praying to the Gods for his very survival on board this death trap. He heard a chuckle off to his left, in the window seat. Arthur glared at Merlin. "What are _you_ cackling at, you idiot?"

Merlin forced a straight face, then, shaking his head. "N-nothing." He paused and gestured with his hand. "Arthur, you've fought the Questing Beast," he began quietly. "You've fought Cenred's entire army...and yet a little shaking of a flight craft sends you screaming for the hills. Try to take perspective," he urged.

Arthur shifted uneasily in his seat, trying to get a little more room to stretch out under these cramped conditions. "Easy for _you_ to say," he muttered. "You have only to wave your hand and flash gold eyes, and you'll be wherever you want to be. If this plane goes down, I go with it, as does my family. Hardly seems fair."

Merlin chuckled again, patting his friend's arm. "You know I'd never let that happen," he said with entirely too much amusement, still shaking his head. "Prat."

"Clotpole."

"Hey, that's my line!"

"Yeah, well-"

-"Guys, enough!"

Uncomfortable under Kelly's exasperated gaze, both the men slunk lower in their seats and pretended to find something interesting to stare at on the seats in front of them.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Sir Gwaine slowly turned, his eye scanning the area through the scope of his weapon, and he watched the trees for any sign of his quarry. He had been tracking Sir Leon, and he'd nearly gotten the man when Sir Elyan took the senior knight out with a bright pink splatter all across his chest. Leon had cursed a blue streak, and anyone within earshot had guffawed at this uncharacteristic display of temper. Moving as silently as he could, Gwaine moved further down the trail.

THWAP!

"OW! Bloody HELL!"

Having just been shot in his backside, Gwaine turned to see none other than Camelot's Future Queen, her own paintball rifle trained on his head as she prepared to take another shot. She was dressed in dark clothing, her bright auburn hair hidden by the hood of her jacket. "I thought you said head shots were ILLEGAL!" he shouted in a mild panic, envisioning just how much a paint pellet to the skull might smart.

Kelly kept her rifle trained on the man, and she smiled. "If you surrender, it's all good." Keeping aim at his head, she moved closer, her stance a defensive one.

Pouting slightly, Gwaine capped the barrel of his weapon, the bright orange flag signaling his exit from the game so that he could return to base camp without further wounding. "You are one _frightening_ woman, my lady," he muttered. "Hell of a shot, too…" He absently rubbed his left buttock, grimacing as he tried to soothe the bruised body part. "I probably _already_ have a nice, dark bruise…"

"Oh, PLEASE!" Kelly laughed, watching him leave. "IF I'd gotten you at close range, _maybe_. It's just a _baby_ welt!" She turned to reenter the 'arena', a mischievous smile lighting her face. "Now to find my husband…."

~.~.~.~.~

A/N:

Yeah, I know. I'm warped. This scene just popped into my head. Just the vision of our brave knights running for cover, armor splattered with all the pretty colors of the rainbow! *Evil Cackle* I couldn't resist. :D I hope you enjoy my random ramblings!

I'm trying to put myself back into the proper mindset, so you'll see plenty of random stuff. If there is something you'd like to see written up, please suggest away! I need some inspiration. Thanks for your support, guys, it means SO MUCH!


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

**"Arthur Pendragon, put that bottle down NOW!"**

Her face red with anger, the Future Queen stormed into the nursery and yanked the glass baby bottle out of her husband's hands. She stared at the contents suspiciously, taking the lid off to sniff the baby's milk. Seemed all right…

"May I ask what you're searching for?" Every bit as tired and irritable as his wife, the Prince-Regent of Camelot stared at the diminutive woman with a wide, confused gaze.

She turned around to face him, her features still hard. "Gaius said you took off with his sleeping draught today. He said you were busy muttering about how 'babies just don't sleep' and you were pretty borderline insane at the time. TELL me you didn't add anything to Marissa's milk!"

Shocked beyond comprehension, the Prince threw his hands up. "Yes, I took the draught—but it was for my OWN use!" He had the grace to look ashamed as he voiced his next admission. "I sort of hoped I could take it tonight…and…"

"And..?" Kelly glared at the blonde Prince, crossing her arms as she set the bottle down.

Arthur rolled his eyes, suddenly mildly afraid of her close proximity. "And…maybe I would get a full night's sleep…" He dropped his eyes to the floor, feeling very much like a child being disciplined. "I'm sorry. I wasn't being fair, I know..."

Before he could continue, the baby started crying. He turned with slumped shoulders, exhausted but intent upon seeing to his newborn daughter.

Kelly stopped her husband with a hand against his chest. Simply blinking up at him, she shook her head. "Get lost. I've got her." She picked up the little pink bundle, adding, "You can redeem yourself with tonight's late shift." When she heard him leave, she grinned down at the baby girl, cooing, "'Cause Daddy's such a sucker for punishment..."


	23. Chapter 23

**I couldn't resist another jab at our Prince. Enjoy! OH-ANd many thanks to my newest audience members. Cheers and Ciao!**

**Chapter 23**

"Merlin, I need your help!"

"It's about time you acknowledged that..."

Arthur gave Merlin an exasperated look. "Ha ha...No, seriously." He stared at the open sleeper he had managed to wrestle his two-month-old daughter into, her waving arms and legs presenting an interesting obstacle. "Tell me you can see exactly how one of these things does up. There are snaps all over the place," he muttered, keeping one hand on his newborn daughter.

Seconds later Merlin had the entire outfit done up, and he calmly handed the dressed child to her father. "See, now, was that so hard?" he teased. "Really, Sire, you should have learned to dress yourself before attempting to dress another human being."

"Merlin?"

"Yes, Arthur?"

"Shut up."

"Fine," Merlin agreed, nodding. "Don't come whining to me when you cannot figure out her diapers." He walked away, carrying on with cleaning his master's chambers. There were just some things that people needed to learn all on their own.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24 – Following the Death of Uther**

She knew any relationship would have its ups and downs—but she hadn't expected a nosy Uncle to be the source of grief! And his latest bit of advice to his nephew tossed her straight off the edge.

"You must silence your wife, Arthur," he had said in that irritating, almost nasal voice of his. "If the people were to see you bow to her wishes...well...they would lose confidence in your ability to rule this kingdom." She had watched a series of emotions pass across her husband's face.

The moment she opened her mouth to speak to the King of Camelot over the proposed treaty with Queen Anise's kingdom, the blond King had ordered her to be silent! In front of everyone in the Council chambers! And Kelly had said nothing more on the matter during that session. But it was a different story when the meeting let out and she stormed off down the corridor. She heard the whispers behind her, and it only fueled her rage.

It wasn't until she walked the staircase to the second floor of the North tower and heard the heavy booted feet running in her direction—and she heard Agravaine's low murmur as he spoke in haste to the King—that she spun around at the top of the stairwell. Standing two steps above set her at level with her husband's conflicted face.

"You cannot just run off without explanation," the King argued halfheartedly, gesturing with his hands. "I wanted to talk to you!"

Kelly turned around and kept walking, then, lifting her skirts as she ascended the steps. "Oh, isn't that nice! After publicly telling me to shut up in front of all those people!" Her voice rose with fury, her southern roots coming out loud and clear. She charged toward their shared chambers, positively seething, heels clicking against the tile. "If you have anything to say, Arthur Pendragon, it had better be something in the manner of a monumental _apology_!"

Agravaine hurried to keep up with the duo, wearing that smile of his, the one that creeped Kelly out entirely. "My Lady, please," he cautioned smoothly. "He is your King..."

Kelly turned on her heel and bared her teeth at the black-haired man. "DON'T you speak one word to me! YOU started this mess! YOU keep trying to alter my husband—the man everyone knows for his grace and compassion—into a TYRANT worse than Uther _ever _was!" Her voice bounced off the walls, and servants stopped what they were doing to watch this most unusual exchange in the corridor.

The guards on post at the corridor entrance to the Royal chambers paused, and the first one poked his comrade's shoulder, nodding toward the squabbling couple.

"I beg your pardon," Agravaine said in a manner of shock and outrage. "My Liege, you cannot allow your wife to address a man in this manner! It is most-"

-"DON'T EVEN GO THERE!" Kelly turned her fiery hazel gaze to her shell-shocked husband. "You expect me to stand there and let you talk to me like that, Arthur? To publicly disrespect me?" Her hands flew out to where her girls were being cared for by the maidservant, Guinevere. "What do you think your girls will learn if you allow this behaviour? I won't allow them to grow up thinking that this is NORMAL or expected! I would sooner take them home and raise them properly than-"

-"Kelly, Please," Arthur begged, his fear overriding his need to appear to be the strong King that everyone needed. "You can't-"

Kelly moved to stand right in front of her husband and she raised her chin in defiance. "Watch me," she growled, and she turned to leave. "Until you find your own voice, Arthur, I'm going to stay with my father, and they are coming along. That man-" she pointed at Agravaine-"He's TOXIC. When you decide that your family is more important than his constant _undermining o_f everything you've worked so hard for, you know where to find us!" Her hazel eyes were positively burning with anger, and she spun on her heel, auburn tresses flying as if caught in a maelstrom.

~.~.~

**A/N:**

**That last line was dramatic, I know...but I wanted to create that pissed-off, ethereal image! LOL This is how I think Agravaine's well-known advice might be received by our twenty-first century Queen of Camelot... I can see him instructing...er, _encouraging_ Arthur to tamp down his wife's very bold style. **

**I hope you enjoyed my little mental jog! Ta, peeps! Let me know if you wish me to continue this particular outtake for a little longer, or if this one chapter seems to be enough. I'm just playing, after all, and I do like to cater to my audience a little bit... :D**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

When his daughter had arrived on his doorstep with both the royal children in tow, David Anderson knew something was up. The pained look in his youngest child's tired eyes said so much more than she ever could have verbalized. He glanced over to the curb and saw the familiar black Nissan gleaming in the hot summer sun. She had driven all the way from Santa Monica in a truly upset state. The Brigadier General promptly drew her into an embrace.

Melting into her father's embrace, Kelly cried for the first time since this whole mess began, sobbing into his chest. It felt good to finally just let it all out to the one person she knew she could trust completely.

Holding his daughter, David opened the front door and quietly asked Alexandra to take Marissa inside. While the oldest child looked a bit apprehensive after witnessing her mother's breakdown, she gently propelled the two-year-old girl ahead of her through the living room.

"My girl," the Marine murmured, stroking his daughter's back in the way that he used to, as when she was a small child after falling off a bike or taking a dive off playground equipment at the park. She was strong, he knew that, and to see her so upset ripped at his heart. "What on earth happened?"

"I left him," Kelly managed, sniffling, wiping at her eyes when she pulled away from her father to look at him. "N-Not for good, just...just until he learns not to-to let outsiders sway him." She worked to recompose her face and met her father's understanding, worried brown gaze. "I-I couldn't let Alex and Marissa see him talk to me like that, wi-with so much _disrespect_! Dad, what would they_ learn_ if I stayed?"

David hugged his daughter and led her inside his modest home. "You did the right thing," he assured her. "Sometimes you gotta be strong enough to walk away." He needed the story, and he wouldn't get it standing out on his front porch all day. "C'mon inside and tell me all about it, my girl..."

~.~.~

Kelly finished her recount of the entire incident, from the day that Uther died to Aggravaine's arrival, to the point where she walked away for the good of the girls. At the end of her story she was a shaking mess, sipping at a cup of tea the entire time. Her children played with toys in the living room, and her father sat opposite of her at his kitchen island. He was watching her intently the whole time, his face a mask of neutrality—he was taking it all in, probably assessing her options.

"I-I'm sorry to barge on in, Dad. You weren't expecting us, and-"

-David set a hand on top of Kelly's own. "You can barge in any time you like," he assured her, the sadness of this situation seeping into his voice. "Sweetheart, my home is yours, wherever it is. And these girls, they're my grand-kids. I'm here for all of you, whatever you need." He nodded, relieved when Kelly returned the gesture, even a small smile. "Don't ever feel like you can't ask for my help."

Kelly nodded, swiping at her eyes, swiping at the tears she hadn't bothered to hold back when telling her father all about the latest disaster in her life. She stood and excused herself, needing to take a break.

There was no point in sitting around, praying her husband would come around instantly and apologize for all of his transgressions. It took time for Aggravaine to break his confidence enough to force such...awful decisions as of late, and she knew it would take time for Arthur to see what he had lost as a result of his 'Kingly' behaviour. She would NOT be the first to give in; she would live her life and show her girls that one could carry on in spite of the pain. Life had too many facets for one to sit idle and wishing, when they could be fulfilling dreams or surpassing their own expectations.

~.~.~

It had been three days of rehashing that entire conflict in his mind. Three days of wondering what he should be doing, as King, Husband and Father. Three days of kicking himself for listening to his Uncle in dealing with his wife. Three days of feeling as though he'd lost everything.

Arthur stood looking out the large window that overlooked the courtyard, hands behind his back. She had really left. His wife had taken his children and just...left. "Until you find your own voice," she had said, and he growled low in his throat at the memory.

"Your dinner, Sire," chirped George, the boot-licker servant that had been chosen to replace Merlin for the time being. Merlin was busy helping Gaius with a flu outbreak, and therefore was too busy to attend to Arthur with any real competency.

Arthur nodded in acknowledgment, crossing his arms. "Thank you," he said thickly, emotions still running rampant. "See to the other rooms as well, in case-" he stopped himself, knowing that he didn't have to complete that statement. He expected the girls' rooms to remain in a state or readiness for their return. As well, servants were expected to attend to the Queen's personal chambers in case she, too, returned at any given moment.

George bowed and left his chambers, closing the door softly behind him.

Moments later the door opened and a voice startled Arthur. "George seems...dispirited. What did you do to him, Prat?"

Arthur turned abruptly and faced his long-time friend and manservant. Merlin looked exhausted and dirty, and just plain very unlike the idiotic servant he'd grown to see as a brother. Arthur snorted, muttering, "Same thing I did to you, idiot. I gave him work to do—only he _did_ it."

"You wound me," Merlin stated dryly. He observed his friend's hunched shoulders, the luggage beneath Arthur's eyes, the way his mouth remained down-turned, in a constant pout. "If you miss them so much, _Sire_, perhaps you ought to try to bring them home again."

Arthur frowned at his manservant, shaking his head. "It's not so simple as that, Merlin. I'm the King, now. If I cave to the whims of my people-"

-"For God sakes, Arthur, she's not 'your people'!" Merlin brought a fist down hard onto the dining table, anger sharpening his already angular features. "Kelly is your wife, and you did what every married man does at some point or another—you offended her in such a way that you shall have to work your arse off to get her back!"

Groaning his displeasure at being lectured, Arthur rolled his eyes. "Merlin, you know nothing of dealing with women," he stated sharply. "If I don't maintain my strength as both King and Husband, I will lose the respect of my people."

Merlin absently went into the wardrobe and hauled out one of Arthur's sleep tunics. "If you haven't already noticed, _my liege_, Aggravaine's advice has only nearly set us at war with Queen Anise and very nearly cost Camelot their own Queen—because I don't believe that they are truly never coming back, mind you. I think your stubborn pride will give way to logic eventually, and then you'll really have to grovel for your wife's forgiveness." He paused to light a bedside candle, setting the Kindle Fire device on top of the King's pillow. "You should read that new Stephen King e-book she bought. She said it's a really creepy story. Good read."

Arthur sighed, running his hand through his hair with impatience. Disregarding Merlin's continuous prattle beyond Aggravaine's influence, he said, "I cannot simply dismiss my Uncle. He's helped me to take leadership with more authority, more power. I cannot repay his efforts in such a thankless manner."

Merlin shrugged. "So, drag him along with you. Make him apologize for the things he did to contribute."

Arthur snorted derisively and was silent for a long moment, finally marching off to put his mind to greater use; target practice.

~.~.~.~.~

**A/N:**

**We'll get there. Just hang in there, guys! :D You know how stubborn Arthur is. He needs to cause himself greater suffering before he gives in to ANYTHING!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Merlin had become sick of Arthur's moping, pouty state. If he wasn't making Merlin's life unbearable, he was being just as much a prat to everyone and anyone. The warlock finally squared his shoulders and decided to interrupt one of Arthur's early morning rants with words of his own. Words that he hoped would help make up the King's mind on what was important in his life.

"Either you distance yourself from Aggravaine," Merlin stated firmly, "or you risk losing your family. To me that seems a very clear choice." He paused in putting away Arthur's freshly laundered clothing. He paused and removed a plastic ID tag that had remained attached to one of the Queen's uniform tops. _How did _this_ make it into his clothes?_ he wondered. "Huh. Wonder if she had to get a new ID tag, yet."

It worked. Merlin's offhand comment had served to stop the King in his tracks. Arthur muttered in an agitated manner, "Give me that." Merlin surrendered the micro-chipped door pass, suppressing a smile.

Arthur stood stalk still for a long time, his thumb tracing the bumps and ridges of this futuristic key and identification piece. What an era, where metal keys were becoming obsolete…He spoke quietly, emotion making it harder for the words to be heard. "You think she's gone back to work?"

Merlin shrugged, now setting out the King's armor for polishing. Since the exit of the Queen, Arthur had ordered Merlin to do this sort of work in his presence. It was Merlin's thought that the stubborn King was lonely beyond comprehension. "It's been two weeks, Arthur, and not a word from you. You are both too stubborn for either of you to give in before the other. Why wouldn't Kelly set herself into a familiar, comfortable place?" He smiled in spite of himself. "She's probably scaring the crap out of a handful of new interns." Arthur shot him an offended glare. "What? She is welcome among the senior staff. That Dr. Stephen…whatshisname—He was fond of her, praised her work constantly, didn't he? Why wouldn't he snap her up amongst the ranks?"

Arthur nodded slowly, blowing out a puff of air. He froze and lifted his cerulean gaze to his servant and friend. "With each passing day," he said softly, "I am losing my wife and daughters…I have to do something." He flipped the badge over again and again as thoughts tumbled through his foggy brain. He thought about it, and he made his decision. He turned sharply to look at his servant head-on. "Merlin, open the portal. I'll be taking my Uncle for a little trip. We'll see you in Gaius' chambers in thirty minutes." He paused and added, "Be sure to lay out appropriate attire so Aggravaine doesn't stick out too badly. I will alert the Council that this morning's meeting is cancelled."

Merlin's grin intensified. "Yes, Sire. I'll get right on it."

Quickly Arthur moved to his wardrobe and pulled out the hanger that contained his own twenty-first century attire. As he disappeared behind the dressing screen, he heard his bedroom door open and shut softly and Merlin's quiet footsteps as he left Arthur's chambers.

Merlin could see reconciliation on the horizon! He practically did a happy dance all the way down the corridor in his excitement. And then the thought of an ignorant Aggravaine travelling with Arthur in 2012, well, that made the Warlock snicker. What would the crotchety old Lord do upon seeing the technological advances of that era? Merlin remembered how lost he and Arthur had been, and Gwaine as well—though the knight had feigned ease with being in such an odd place.

~.~.~

Aggravaine shrugged uncomfortably in the black button-down shirt, tugging absently at the rough denim fabric on his legs. And his feet were another story! How did one wear such rigid things on their feet and not be in pain for the duration of the day? His face wore a near permanent frown at all of this strangeness.

He followed his nephew down the corridor to Gaius' chambers. Why Arthur wanted him to be present for a discussion with that irreverent, bossy little woman that everyone adamantly proclaimed their Queen, he just couldn't fathom.

Arthur stood in front of the mirror. Merlin had graciously activated the thing moments ago, and he stood by dutifully, hands behind his back as he supervised this crossing. The swirling pools of gold appeared before his eyes. He watched the various views that passed by, like a television show stuck on replay. One of these would allow him to be closer to his wife… He saw a busy hospital corridor, and then another quiet little room….Each of these places bore a recent fingerprint of his wife's whereabouts. Merlin had performed an incantation to place a kind of 'tracker' on the woman. All were linked by the common thread of his wife having been there within a certain amount of time.

"S-Sire, what is that?" Aggravaine squinted at the passing scenes of a very strange world. "Rather, _where_ is that?" He had dabbled in magic before, he knew what sorcery looked like, but he also knew that the King of Camelot had not, nor would he ever, embrace the dark arts. Then, why did his nephew scan the settings with practiced ease?

Arthur kept watching, and he gripped his Uncle's arm. "When that office appears again, Uncle, we shall step through. The available connection points are cycling through…" He chanced a look over at his very pale looking uncle. "Relax, Aggravaine. It is a bit odd the first trip through, but we all get used to the effects of time travel eventually." With that he yanked on his Uncle's t-shirt. He couldn't help the smirk on his face, the resulting satisfaction of his Uncle taking _his_ direction for the first time in ages-without the man's neverending running commentary.

Aggravaine barely had time to register the words. "T-Time travel?" He got no response and felt his feet leave the wooden floor with his nephew's insistent pull. In moments he was in among that swirling inferno, crying out soundlessly and literally disassembling!

No, it wasn't as easy as Kelly made it look, and the effects always took a moment to dissipate with Arthur's experience in portal travel. Arthur set foot onto the soft carpet and nearly toppled over when Aggravaine fell against him. Arthur grasped the edge of a sofa beside the receiving portal and managed to swing himself down on top of the soft fabric. Aggravaine hadn't been so lucky, instead crashing to the floor.

Aggravaine looked positively green. Arthur wondered if his uncle just might vomit from the strain of his first portal experience. The old man was sprawled across the floor, his head just shy of an oak end table's legs.

Standing, Arthur heaved a breath of relief. "There," he breathed. "That wasn't so bad, was it, Uncle?" He straightened and glanced all about.

~.~.~

**A/N:**

**I couldn't keep you waiting. We need an Aggravaine/Kelly confrontation, and a groveling Arthur! That should make for a wonderful Thanksgiving! Happy Thanksgiving to all of my Canadian friends! I don't know who else shares our day, but if I've missed anyone….PLEASE FORGIVE ME! PLEASE! ;D**

**OOH! I watched the first part of Arthur's Bane last night, and MAAAAAN, I missed watching my favorite guys in all their bantering glory! SUCH a good episode, but I can see what one of you said about the 'alien' scene. I thought that was a bit over the top…I loved Gwen's character, how strong she's become. But I'm not sure she would have had the strength so soon to sentence the servant to death…Hmm…Food for thought...**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Kisses, hugs to all, and many, many THANK YOUs to everyone who favorited, followed, and especially to those who left me a review! That's why I write. I love to read your comments. Not flames, but certainly critique and suggestions for future arcs, one-shots…You know what I mean, right?**

**Happy Thanksgiving, guys! Or…Happy Turkey, Ham and all-you-can-eat-without-exploding Day! :D**


	27. Chapter 27

_**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, guys—and sorry for the false chapter upload. I realized my oops seconds after I put the thing up, so...Yeah. Thanks for your patience! I've got my hands in too many different stories, other stuff, family stuff...Life. Thanks for hanging in there, for leaving your reviews and favoriting/following this series of outtakes. I'm not done with it, just working at a moderate pace...okay, slower than a snail... :) I'll have more time for this now that I've completed Past Judgement, though. :D**_

_**Enjoy!**_

**Chapter 27**

They walked for a very long time past row upon row of military housing and down streets that all began to look alike. Marine and Army personnel passed them by, giving them curious glances as military vehicles drove past them. Aggravaine craned his neck in several directions, thoroughly amazed and in a state of shock as he followed his nephew...who seemed unusually comfortable in this strange land. Arthur paid more attention to overhead signage than he did to the strangers passing them on the street, and even then he offered polite smiles and nods of greeting, as if he belonged among them. Some actually looked at him with a smile of recognition.

One odd young man tapped his arm in passing. "Hey, man," he greeted, and as he walked away, he called, "Long time no see! Comin' out with the Brigadier tonight?" He was a tanned man with closely cropped brown hair, and his accent bore an odd twang to it.

Arthur paused in confusion and lifted his hands in question. "I...was not aware of events for this evening, I'm sorry. Perhaps we'll see you there...Leonard, isn't it?"

"Good memory," the soldier commented with a bright smile. "See you 'round, Artie." He waved casually and continued on his way with his buddies.

Aggravaine paused and raised an eyebrow at his King. "_Artie_, Sire? And you allow this?" he asked in disbelief.

Arthur turned to look at his uncle. "Americans have this custom, Uncle," he began carefully. "If they befriend you, they tend to shorten your name to something that isn't altogether flattering to oneself...but when in Rome, right?"

"Rome, Sire? I was not aware that we-"

-Arthur dropped a hand on his uncle's shoulder to halt this conversation. It was giving him a headache. "A figure of speech, Uncle. We are not literally in Rome, but as we are in America, we must behave as Americans," he explained patiently.

Aggravaine nodded slowly, still confused. "Ah." He shook his head in disdain behind his nephew's back, biting back words of insult.

They arrived at the familiar white, colonial-style townhouse complex that made up the Officers' Quarters section. These homes were slightly larger, though no more ornate. A vast array of vehicles sat in driveways all down the block Arthur halted when four figures appeared in the distance, way down the other side of the block. He halted his Uncle's steps, gesturing toward the approaching foursome. "They're headed this way," he said, and his uncle nodded in understanding.

Arthur could see the imposing form of the Brigadier General, and the tiny stature of his wife as they walked closer.

The sound of a bicycle bell sounded, and Arthur watched a two-wheeled bicycle draw closer, closing in fast. Again the bell sounded, and Alexandra could be heard yelling, "Daddy, look at me! I'm riding a bike!"

Arthur braced himself and bent to stop the two-wheeled contraption. Alexandra ran straight into him, stopped only by his boot. Smiling down at his eldest child, he asked, "Are you being good for your mother, Alex?" He turned the bike around to face the rest of the approaching family.

Alexandra giggled, nodding. When her father gave her a gentle push, she sped off, peddling as fast as she could. "Mamma, look! Daddy's here!" she cried. "Grandpa!"

Moments later Kelly followed as Marissa rode her tricycle a bit faster. Eyes mostly on the toddler and her weaving tricycle, she did glance up briefly at her husband. Deciding to be civil, she called, "Marissa, go show Daddy your new tricycle!"

Marissa giggled, peddling faster. Her father stopped her before she could ride past him. She laughed harder when he picked her up onto his shoulder. "Dad-dy!" she cried.

Arthur took in the appearance of his children. In jeans and t-shirts of each their own tastes, neither seemed at all out of place in their modern attire. _You cannot take the future out of the girl_, he supposed, managing to mask his momentary disappointment. He tapped the top of Marissa's odd looking hat. "Nice hat," he commented.

Marissa continued to giggle. "Not a hat! 'Cycle Helmet! Momma say no bike if I don' wear one!"

Alexandra got off her bike and pulled it onto the grass. "Mommy calls it a 'brain bucket'," she announced loudly. "She won't let us ride without one."

Arthur glanced over to his uncle, hiding his amusement when the Lord appeared visibly disgusted. "Well, you had better do as Mommy says," he agreed, nodding. "Mommy does know a thing or two about the human body, after all."

The Brigadier General kept pace and eventually stepped up before his Son-in-Law, towering over the young man. Nodding in greeting, not quite sure whether to smile and shake the man's hand or to cuff him upside the head, David gruffly stated, "Arthur. You been here long?" He peered at the King of Camelot through the dark lenses of his aviator sunglasses.

Arthur set Marissa on her feet, and he watched the girls run up to the porch and disappear inside the townhouse. "Ah, no." He shook his head "We just arrived." He turned his gaze from his Father-in-Law to his wife. "Kelly, please, would you...walk with me?" He sounded unsure, even to his own ears. He sounded very nervous.

Kelly crossed her arms and glanced toward the closed front door. She briefly considered going in after her children, in a show of protest, but civility won out.

David waved them off. "Go on. You two need some chat time. I got the girls." He gestured toward the awkward looking man who had accompanied Arthur into the portal. "Aggravaine, c'mon inside. Leave Arthur and Kelly to talk," he said with perhaps a bit too much authority. David was well aware of what had happened back in Camelot. "I could use your help with the shed I'm building out back." He strode toward his house.

Aggravaine mouthed to Arthur, 'Shed?' Arthur gave him little more than a glare of warning in response. He followed the burly Marine into the house, his shoulders back in an attempt to maintain dignity. "Well, this should be entertaining," he muttered below his breath.

Kelly watched her father lead the older man into his house and paused to evaluate her husband's haggard appearance. "You look rough. Not resting well?" she asked coolly.

Arthur watched his wife for a very long moment, and he struggled to find the words. "I am a bit worn out, I suppose," he murmured, embarrassed. He gestured toward Kelly's neat jeans-and-blouse attire. "You seem to be doing well. That's good."

Kelly sighed, rolling her eyes. "You didn't come all this way to comment on my clothing, did you?" she asked wryly, crossing her arms again. "Come on, Arthur, just spill it already..."

Arthur sighed, looked around to ensure that they were still alone, and he looked at Kelly. His eyes dulled by the weeks of loneliness. He nodded, hanging his head. "You're right," he murmured, stepping closer. He lifted his hands to gesture helplessly. Meeting her wary hazel eyes, he spoke carefully. "Kelly, I...I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say. I overstepped bounds, I listened to the wrong pieces of advice, and I cannot possibly erase the manner in which I behaved toward you." Arthur met her gaze, and he watched as some of her anger dissipated. "I...Can you forgive me? I cannot go another day being apart from you, Alex, and Marissa..."

Kelly narrowed her eyes as she looked out over the landscape. She watched a pickup truck full of soldiers drive by. She met Arthur's heartbroken gaze and said, "I want you to stop taking any bit of advice from that man!" She sighed and shook her head. "Aggravaine is trouble, and it's obvious to me that he tried to corrupt you at a time when you were looking for some kind of direction. You were turning into a tyrant, Arthur. The girls are not going to learn to let anyone speak to them like you did to me. That was SO disrespectful on SO many levels." Anger darkened her hazel eyes momentarily. "You were _completely_ out of character..."

Growing desperate Arthur nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, I-I know." He took Kelly's hands in his own and met her gaze with what he prayed was the most sorry, most pathetic, most_ needy_ looking blue eyes on the face of the earth. "I swear to you, I will not be taking his advice any longer. I don't know what I was thinking, I really don't...Please, allow me to make up for my atrocious behaviour..."

Kelly held back her tears. She was so frustrated with this whole mess! She thought for a moment before speaking, rocking back on the heels of her shoes. "And what assurances do I have that this won't blow up in my face again? I can't play this game with the girls. I won't." She dropped her arms to her sides and gestured toward the house. "I'm prepared to make my life here permanently, if I have to. People still know me, I'm still known in the Medical community…Stephen's offered me a position on staff-"

"Kelly, _please_," Arthur pleaded, visibly upset. Her matter-of-fact response was practically killing him. "Please, I swear it won't happen again. I've only to set Aggravaine straight, and he should no longer be an issue."

"And if he is?" Kelly raised a challenging eyebrow, tilting her head in question.

Arthur visibly stilled, at a loss for words for that moment. "I…" He dropped his shoulders. He had never been one to turn family away, but if Aggravaine pushed things once more, Arthur stood to lose his family for good. "I'll banish Aggravaine from Camelot. You have my word."

Kelly sighed and glanced at the house, then looked at her husband. "Fine. Now you tell him. Give him his one warning, make him aware of the consequences, and I'll consider this thing done and over." She could see the discomfort all across her husband's tense face, but she had to lay down the law on this one. "I'll believe it when I see it."

Arthur watched cold resolve settle on his wife's fine features, and he knew she was right. He knew he had to do this, to repair the damage done. He would fix this. He nodded and turned toward the house. He watched as she picked up the bicycle and hurried to take the other one before she could take that one, too. He followed her to the garage door and set the future toys inside the car storage space.

~.~.~

David watched Arthur's Uncle make awkward conversation with Marissa and Alexandra. The man seated himself on the carpet where the girls had proceeded to build with Lego. The man just seemed phony to the seasoned officer's eyes. The girls hardly knew him, visibly keeping a safe distance and choosing to be with each other, to play together. Kids just knew to follow their instincts. The Brigadier General nodded his approval, seated in his favorite Lazyboy chair by the fireplace. Yep, his girls would be fine…

Aggravaine looked up from the strange looking toys, forcing a congenial smile as he met the calculating brown eyes of the rather imposing giant of a man across the room. "Your abode is impressive," he began carefully, diplomatically. He thought it best to win over the Queen's father, not that it appeared that he had any hope of managing that... "Certainly more space than one man needs..."

David snorted. "Proved to be necessary for the last two weeks, now, didn't it?" he asked gruffly, folding his hands across his stomach. "Just enough to allow my family to stay with me for a while. That's all I need."

Aggravaine nodded. "Yes, I suppose..."

The front door closed and in moments the royal couple stood in the doorway to the family room. Aggravaine visibly tensed, catching glares from nearly everyone in the room. He forced a congenial smile and nodded to his Liege. "Sire. My Lady," he offered politely, standing upon their entrance. "How may I be of assistance? Shall I find a servant to prepare your evening meal?" He clapped his hands together as if to solidify his proposal, and he glanced expectantly from one to the other. His face fell when neither appeared pleased that he was in their presence. "M-My Lord?"

Arthur gestured toward his wife, and he turned to face his Uncle. Heaving a stressed sigh, he spoke. "As your Queen would say, you are 'on notice'. Aggravaine, your council is no longer required. In fact, I will go so far as to say that any attempt to influence the Court, the Council or my own decisions will be met with the only consequence that I can deem fit for such damaging behavior." He watched as a look of fear passed across Aggravaine's features, and he caught the shadow of anger that replaced the man's previously unreadable expression. Arthur drew his shoulders back and spoke, meeting the Lord's hardened gaze. "Banishment. To return would be to do so on pain of death."

Aggravaine attempted a smile, spreading his hands in question. "My Lord, this is preposterous," he argued softly, very nearly stuttering. "Surely you can see that I was _only_ trying to help-"

-"Aggravaine, you tried to turn Arthur against me!" Kelly's loud interruption caused an audible intake of breath from her father. She strode forward, arms crossed in defiance. She was the recipient to one very threatening glare, and she set her jaw stubbornly. She stopped less than a foot away from Arthur's uncle, daring him to try anything. "Like it or not, I am your Queen. You follow Arthur's orders first and mine second. You do NOT try to undermine me. I won't tolerate it. If you try to go behind my back again, you will be run out of town. Do I need to further clarify this? Would you like me to draft a _memo_ for you?" Her questions were quiet and mocking, full of derision.

Seething on the inside, the Lord drew his shoulders back and bowed his head in submission. "No, My Lady. You have been most explicit." His voice was quiet, his words spoken clearly and deliberately. His eyes shot daggers at the young woman, and she returned the gesture.

Kelly cocked an eyebrow, and she nodded. She said nothing else, quite sure that if Aggravaine so much as breathed the wrong way, she just might launch herself at him and scratch his eyes out! She concentrated on reigning in her temper and walked away. There was only one thing to do at a time like this. An hour out on the ocean would do wonders to restore her equilibrium...

When she passed Arthur, he reached for her, but she put her hand up in a wordless halting gesture. She met his eyes and shook her head, her lips pursed to prevent the escape of several choice (and completely inappropriate) words. And then she left the room with a purposeful stride. She could be heard ascending the stairs to the second floor.

Arthur sighed in frustration. Even while he had supposedly ended this standoff, he felt that there were many issues left unresolved. He could see that his uncle and his wife held barely concealed contempt for each other. He needed to go home and play with his practice dummies. A good beating on inanimate objects sounded really good at the moment...

Eager to break the tension, David stood and beckoned for the girls to follow him. "Alex, Marissa, come with Grandpa. You need to get washed up for dinner."

Arthur watched his children leave the room, and he faced his now unreadable Uncle. "Aggravaine."

"Sire?" Aggravaine's words sounded stiff and cold. He stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes meeting his nephew's stern gaze.

"You heard my wife. There will be no further trouble from you." Arthur waved his hand dismissively. "Go...make yourself presentable. There is a guest room at the top of the stairs. I suspect we will be out and about shortly."

Aggravaine bowed and did as ordered. This was not the end. No, Camelot would fall—and he would be damned if he did not play a part in the great city's destruction...


	28. Chapter 28

_**IMPORTANT: I've failed to say this in nearly all of my chapters thus far, even though it is explicitly stated on my Profile page, that I DO NOT OWN MERLIN or ITS CHARACTERS!...Just the Anderson family and associated friends in 2012+—Oh, and Sir Saer and his son Aidan (Alexandra's best buddy!) Just putting it out there. :P**_

_**A/N: To answer Lady Proemess' question, I've given Aggravaine a new alliance (co-conspirator) since he could not have aligned himself with Morgana. They killed her in one of my Past Judgement chapters, if you recall. Aggravaine wants to see Camelot driven to the ground to avenge his sister's death (which he wholly blamed on Uther Pendragon, hence he doesn't want to see another Pendragon on the throne), and King Odin has a bit of a grudge against Arthur already (sorry, spoiler for Season 5, Episode 4..), so….There you have it. :D Aggravaine was trying desperately to set Arthur up to fail as King (following Uther's death). I just have to tweak the storyline a bit to accommodate the absence of Morgana, if I choose to follow PJO Chapter 27 further. If you want it continued, please let me know. Also, if you have other arcs you'd like me to try, I'd love to hear suggestions.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**And….On to another random scene! Something a bit lighter!**_

**Chapter 28**

"The cell phone gag, I could live with that," ranted the King. "I could even handle the water balloon fiasco." King Arthur strode purposely from the Council Chambers, his manservant in tow and hurrying to keep up with the monarch's angry stride. "But I shall _hang _the idiot who thought it funny to coat my goblet with _finger paint_!" He lifted his right hand to show his servant the smear of electric blue paint all across his bare hand. Similar streaks adorned his face, where (without thinking) he had run his hand along his jaw in thought while listening to the morning report. "This is—utterly humiliating, _Mer_lin!"

It took everything Merlin had not to break out into a fit of laughter at the sight. "Sire, I do know who is responsible, and…I don't think it's wise to remove the heiress to your kingdom." He held his hands behind his back in a respectful pose, unable to erase the threat of a smile from his face.

Arthur turned on his heel in the long corridor and visibly took deep breaths, his lips pursed in irritation. After a long, tense moment, he asked in a tone of disbelief, "_Alexandra_ did this?"

Merlin nodded, allowing his grin to surface. "You have to admit, it was a streak of brilliance-to pull this off in front of the entire Council. The look on their faces—and yours—was priceless!" He allowed himself a chuckle.

Arthur turned and continued on toward his chambers. "That child is entirely_ too much_ like her mother," he muttered, his anger dissipating.

Merlin patted the King's shoulder in consolation. "Oh, Arthur, you know better than to expect easy days with your family. Just wait until _Marissa_ learns a thing or two about pranking!" He gave his King an exaggerated grin, goading the man just a little.

"I just can't wait…" Arthur released a deep sigh. "You'd think that as King of this land, I'd get a _measure_ of respect." He was aware that he sounded like a pouty child, but he couldn't help feeling picked on.

Merlin gave his friend a sympathetic smile. "Arthur, pranks like this serve to remind you that you're just like the rest of us—accepted, loved, and no less a target."

Arthur narrowed his eyes at his servant. "Was that supposed to make me feel better?"

"No." Merlin ignored the anger that flared in his King's eyes. "I just wanted to drag you back to reality." He gently pushed his friend to continue walking. "Come on, let's get that paint washed off, Prat. I'll help you think of a way to return the favor..."


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N:**

**Sorry for the delay, guys. I've been royally stuck. So, I'm breaking out of my funk with some smaller drabbles. The last few chapters I may remove and post as a side story...but we'll see. You'll see changes later on, if that's the case.**

**As you all know, I own nothing but my own imagination and the improbable situations that I force upon my characters. :D**

**PS - I know, this isn't new...just moved. I WILL add more ASAP! Thanks for your patience, guys!**

**~.~.~**

**Chapter 30**

"Percival?"

The burly knight turned at the sound of the Queen's voice, and he raised an eyebrow expectantly, moving to stand at her side in the busy marketplace. The lower town marketplace was beyond busy. It bordered on chaotic, but few people minded. It was as much an opportunity to reconnect with friends and acquaintances as it was a means to purchase everyday goods. "My Lady," he responded, nodding. His hand rested casually on the hilt of his sword.

"What would you get the man who has nearly everything?" Kelly poured over the display of throwing knives and daggers, her eyes drawn to the more ornate handles. Absently repositioning the green velvet cape on her shoulders, she turned and glanced up at the huge swordsman.

Percival shrugged, answering, "Something he does not have, I suppose."

Kelly blinked at her friend for a long moment. "Thank you, Captain Obvious," she said wryly, turning her attention back to the rack of small weapons. "Come on, I'm serious. Our first anniversary, and I don't know what to get him." She frowned in annoyance. "I suck at gift giving."

Percival laughed, setting a hand on her shoulder "My Lady, you know as well as I that Arthur will love anything you give him. He adores you." He paused and surveyed her raised eyebrow. "What is it?"

Kelly sighed and moved off down the row of bustling stalls. "That didn't help in the least," she muttered. "I _still_ don't know what to get that man..."


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Sorry, guys, it's been a verrrrry long while. Just a lot of stuff going on right now, stuff that's got my mind spinning in about a billion different directions….but Princessmelia's last couple of Centistories managed to stir up a little inspiration! So, here it is. Enjoy! And a belated Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates the holiday!**

**Chapter 30**

Arthur paused in setting his boots beside the bed and swiveled his head about to look at his wife , who was just setting her paperwork aside at the wooden desk. He and Merlin had chatted that evening, and it got the King of Camelot thinking, and he just needed to know—for his own mental health—the answer to one very nagging question.

"Who was your first love? I don't believe I've ever asked you, Kelly." The King worked to cover the unease in his voice at the mention—at the thought of anybody else ever having caught his wife's gaze.

Kelly paused in setting her books away and raised her eyebrows in question. "What?" She stacked the rest of her research materials neatly and stood up, pushing the chair back up against the desk. "Wow, that's a question right out of left field. What were you and Merlin talking about earlier to start _this_ train of thought?"

Arthur shrugged, mildly embarrassed at even having asked. "Life," he managed, feigning a careless shrug. "Merlin told me about Freya."

Kelly crossed the room and stood in front of her husband. "Oookaaay…." She nodded her understanding, a smile lighting her face. "I don't know. I had lots of crushes…" She almost winced at the kicked-puppy expression that her husband tried so hard to hide under the guise of general curiosity.

"What is a 'crush'?" Arthur screwed his face up in confusion.

Kelly rolled her eyes at the wary expression on Arthur's face and hugged him around his middle. "It just means you really like somebody, that's all." She shrugged and continued to watch him, her amusement plain as day. "I kind of had a thing for Jordan Bates for a little while, but then he opened his mouth and spoke." She deadpanned as she said this, watching Arthur's eyes widen in surprise. "Yeah, it turned out that as cute as he was, as great a surfer as he was, the boy couldn't string more than three words together. Game over, my crush...was crushed. And I sort of mooned over Craig Wilson for a week or two, but I found that he was an egotistical jerk." She shrugged. "Most guys just weren't worth the time or the aggravation, or the stress at the thought of them meeting my father..."

Arthur frowned in thought, keeping his wife close. "What about that Ian fellow? You two seemed fairly…close when I—that is, when we…crossed," he managed, trying not to choke on his words.

Kelly wrinkled her nose in distaste. "What, Ian Somers? My surfing buddy?" Arthur's face went crimson within the space of a few heartbeats. "Oh, God, no. He's awesome, but dating Ian would have been like—like dating my _brother_…" She shuddered at the thought and stepped over to stand in front of her husband. "No." She shook her head. "I met my first love a couple of times."

Unsure about where this next tale was headed, Arthur asked, "How so?"

Kelly forced an irritated expression. "Ah, he was always trying to show off and impress me. He was a real outdoorsy kind of guy, so that got my attention. " The King's stance instantly became confrontational, and a small part of her wanted to console the man, but this was just too much fun. "I got to marry the man I thought I'd lost, so I can't really complain. Kind of a shotgun wedding and all that, but it worked out not _too_ bad..." She saw realization settle upon his face and laughed out loud, pulling him down for a kiss. "You're so _cute_ when you get your back up over these little things!"


End file.
